The One
by Tania Hylian
Summary: High school AU. Hans is perfect, he is the one, my true love. And Elsa is just a loser; she's the ice queen with a frozen heart, she doesn't have feelings and she hates me... at least that's what I tell myself in order to survive my first time going to school. But true love sometimes is where you less expect it to be. Anna's POV of LITD. Dashes now replaced by quotation marks.
1. First day

**A/N: This is Anna's POV of the story, so if you want to read Elsa's POV too, you should read my other fanfic, Light in the Darkness, though I suggest you to read Anna's POV first.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: First day.**

Hello, my name is Anna and I'm… well I'm just me, I mean I'm clumsy, awkward, desperate to find love and I have a serious lack of social skills. Do you wanna know why? Well, let's just say I have overprotective parents. They are good parents, don't get me wrong, but they literally kept me inside the house for about ten years, since I was five and that accident happened… well, you can say it was partially my fault, but hey! I was only a kid then, and now I'm a full grown woman… almost. However, now I finally convinced them to let me assist to Arendelle High. I'm going to be a junior, even if I should have been a sophomore, because of the high score I got at the exam.

This is my first time on the outside world and my first time going to a school instead of being home-schooled, so… yeah, I'm very excited, I wanna make so many friends, I wanna meet everyone, but most of all I wanna meet _The One_, do you know what I mean?

Right now I'm arriving to my new school, it so large and crowded and the buildings are very nice, they are white and have columns painted with the colors of Arendelle: purple and green. I descend from the car after saying goodbye to my dad and walk, well, _run_ to the entrance. There are _so many_ people, most of them about my age and I can't help but smile like a fool seeing in front of my eyes all of what I've been dreaming of. I'm so distracted that I don't see where I'm going and suddenly I hit something and fall on my rear.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, are you hurt?"

Well, not something, _someone_. I open my eyes and see him, but I think maybe I hit my head and I'm hallucinating, because no one could be this handsome in real life. Seriously, I'm not kidding, he is _gorgeous_. His auburn hair glows with the light of sun, his eyes are a beautiful shade of green, his sideburns suit him perfectly and that charming smile he's giving me is so perfect. I can feel my cheeks getting red as my heart starts racing like crazy.

"Y-yes... I mean no… I-I'm okay." I'm barely able to reply.

He gives me his hand to help me up and I accept it, but when I touch him my legs literally become jelly. However, I'm somehow able to keep myself on my feet.

"I'm Hans." He says, still holding my hand. "What's your name?"

"A-a-a…" I clear my throat trying to speak. "Anna, my… my name is Anna."

"Anna…" My name sounds perfect pronounced by his soft voice. "It's a beautiful name."

"Thank you." I blush even more.

"I've never seen you around. Are you new here?"

"Y-y-yeah… Actually this is my first time going to a school."

"Really? Were you teached at home?"

"Mmmhm,." I nod. "My parents are a little bit overprotective."

"You can say so." He laughs, and his laughter is like music to my ears. "So Anna, which is your first class?"

"I don't know." I open my back pack and get out my schedule. "Maths with Mr. Weselton."

"Oh, you mean Weaseltown. He is a very annoying little man, too bad for you."

"Do you know him?"

"Yes, he was my teacher the previous year… It didn't end up very well. Whatever, I'll escort you to your class."

"R-really?" He offers me his elbow to hold. "Oh! Thank you! You really don't have to do this." I'm already grabbing his arm and smiling like crazy.

"It's a pleasure."

* * *

I had math class with Mr. Weaseltown, who is very funny even if it he doesn't mean it. I think having him as a teacher won't be so bad. Then I had chemistry with teacher Itzma and, seriously, that woman is scary and so old and ugly she looks like a mummy. After that, I had history with Mr. Tatch and that's when I met Rapunzel. She is a very nice girl and I think we could become good friends, we are very similar in many aspects.

After one interminable hour of history I have one free and Rapunzel does too, so we decide to walk around the school. While we're in our way we talk a little about ourselves. She tells me about her adoptive mother, Gothel, and how she was as overprotective as my parents, or perhaps even more, and how she found her real parents with a little help of her boyfriend, Flynn, and now she only sees Gothel once a week. I, as well, tell her everything about my past… except the accident.

After an amazing hour with Rapunzel I walk her to her class and, when we arrive to her classroom, I see Hans standing by the door.

"Hey, Hans!" I say, waving my hand, not noticing the glare Rapunzel is sending to him. When we are close enough to him I think I should introduce them to each other. "Hans, this is my new friend, Rapunzel. Rapunzel, this is…"

"Hans." She cuts me off. "I know. Everyone here knows him."

"R-r-really?" I can't help feeling strange. Is he really that popular?

"Of course, he is the heartbreaker of this High School."

"Nonsense." He replies. "She is only saying it because I've never put an eye on her before." He winks at me and I giggle nervously completely forgetting the words of Rapunzel.

"I'm going to my class." She says coldly and then she leans to whisper to my ear. "Don't trust him, he is not what he seems."

I don't have time to completely make sense to what she just said because, as she disappear inside the classroom, Hans gets close to me and hugs me by the waist, which makes my mind get rid of any rational thought.

"So, Anna, What do you have to do right now?"

"I-I've got another hour of free time." I somehow manage to reply.

"Perfect." He says and starts walking taking me with him.

* * *

We arrive to the cafeteria. There are many people sited here and there, most of them just talking, others eating and a few studying or doing homework. We head to a table where there are five girls and three boys. All of them seem very well dressed, actually their looks are perfect, from their hair to their shoes, and when they smile it's as if there were sparks surrounding them. I feel so out of place.

"Hey, guys." Hans greets them. "I want to introduce you to my new friend, Anna."

"H-hi." I stutter, my voice sounding shy and very soft.

"How cute!" A brunette dressed with a violet blouse and black leggings says. "Are you new here?"

"Yes, b-but I'm a junior" I state proudly.

"Then welcome to Arendelle High." She says with a big smile. "I'm Megara, but most of people know me as Meg, and wonder boy, over there..." She points to a muscular copper-haired man. "Is my boyfriend, Hercules."

"Hi". He says.

Then the girls start greeting me by kissing me on my cheek. It feels… different to kiss someone you just met, but I don't mind. It's a good different.

"I'm Aurora." A blonde girl dressed with a pink summer dress decorated with blue ribbons says.

"I'm Snow White, but you can call me Snow" A black-haired girl who is chewing gum and is dressed with a dark blue and red blouse and yellow jeans speaks.

"I'm Cinderella, but I'd prefer it if you call me Cindy or Ella." Now a blonde girl wearing a t-shirt and a skirt, both of them blue, speak.

"And I'm Ariel. It's nice to meet you." A redhead dressed with a short green skirt and a violet tank top says.

"It's nice to meet you as well." I answer nervously. "All of you."

Then I look expectantly to the boys who then start introducing themselves as well while shaking my hand.

"I'm John Smith." A blonde guy dressed with jeans and a t-shirt with the flag of U.K greets me. He actually has a British accent.

"I'm Febo." A blonde guy with a little beard growing on his chin who is wearing a tight golden shirt which accentuates his muscles and jeans speaks.

I can't help but notice they all are very handsome… but I prefer the girls, they are even more beautiful... wait, what? No, forget it. I-I prefer Hans. Yes. Hans, the hot guy with auburn hair, sideburns and gorgeous eyes. He is perfect to be my true love. I'm not going to see _anyone_ else in that way. Anyone. Not boys and definitely _not_ girls.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when Snow points somewhere near the door of the cafeteria and shouts:

"Look! It's the ice queen!"

I turn to look where she is pointing and I see a beautiful… no, _gorgeous_… no, there are no words to describe this girl. She has platinum blonde hair that glitters at the light of sun, done in a single french braid and with a light blue diadem just above her bangs. She also has the fairest and most flawless skin I've ever seen, a body so perfect that I couldn't have ever imagined it even in my wildest dreams (Not that I dream about gorgeous girls often), and a pair of eyes whose shade of blue is like seeing directly the clear waters of a frozen lake. She is dressed in a white shirt, a black tie, a dark blue sweater and black dress pants. Her clothes don't really accentuate her good figure, but I'm sure she could be wearing a sack of potatoes and she'd still look astounding.

"That rude heartless girl." Snow says with a sour tone of voice.

"Yeah, I really hope she at least fail one subject this year." Aurora agrees.

"Come on girl, that wouldn't ever happen." Febo says. "She is the smartest girl in the school."

"Yeah" I say angrily, even if I don't know anything about her. "And why do you say such bad things about her, anyway?"

"She is cold and rude and mean and an ice queen." Hans answers. "Everyone in this high hates her." He adds as a matter of factly. "You are new here, so I forgive you for standing up for her."

Now I'm confused. Why do they hate her so much? She must have done something, right? You don't just say bad things about someone if she has never wronged you.

"That reminds me…" Hans speaks. "I have planned a joke for her."

"Oh, what is it about?" Cinderella asks excitedly.

Hans puts out of his pocket a ball of brown plasticine. Then he turns to me and puts it in my hands.

"What?" I ask not really understanding what's going on.

"I want you to smear this on her hair."

"What?!" I exclaim. "No, there's no way I'm gonna do it."

"Why not?" Hercules asks surprised.

"Because it's _wrong_." I try to reason. Maybe I never went to school before but I think I can tell when something isn't right.

"I don't see what's wrong with it." Meg says.

"She hasn't done anything to me. I have no right to do something so mean to her."

"Well, it's true she hadn't done anything to _you_, but to us, on the other hand..." Snow starts, pausing dramatically.

"We made a team with her last year. "Aurora says. "We were just being nice because we pitied her because she has no friends."

"We were supposed to make the final project together, and we did, but when the teacher told us we've got a 90, she just freaked out and told him we hadn't helped her to do it and that she deserved to get a 100 while we should have an 80." Ella continued.

"And you know what's the worst part?" Ariel asks." He obliged! I don't know what she does to the teachers, but they all seem to be hypnotized or something.

"Well…" I start, considering their words. "That wasn't nice from her. You were a team, and if you all worked together you should have had the same grade."

"Exactly!" The four girls exclaim.

"But... Why don't you do it? Why does it have to be me?"

"Because she doesn't know you. She won't mind if you approach her." John answers.

"But what if she gets mad and goes to a teacher and tell him and I'm kicked out?"

"Don't worry about it." Hans says. "She is called the ice queen because she doesn't have any feelings. For her it is the same if you hug her or hit her, if you tell her something nice or awful things. She'd never react to anything."

"Still, I'm not sure." I reply stubbornly. According to my experience with books and movies, this is something only bad guys do, and I don't want to be the bad guy. But, on the other hand… bad guys aren't as nice to random new girls like Hans and his bang are, and they sure know more about good and bad than I do… right?

"C'mon Anna, it'll be fun." Aurora insists.

"You are our friend, right Anna?" Hans asks." Friends do this kind of things for each other. Don't you think that Snow, Cindy, Aurora and Ariel deserve revenge?

I'm confused. I don't know what to do. On one side, I know revenge isn't right, and this could cause me serious problems, besides I really don't want to wrong her. On the other, I don't know the first thing about relations between friends, and they say it's the right thing to do, and I don't want them to think I don't want to be their friend because I really do. Besides it was Hans' idea, and I have to do anything for him in order for him to like me. And he said she won't mind, so it isn't really wrong if it doesn't upset her. Right?

"Fine. I'll do it for you." I finally say.

"Thanks Anna. We'll be forever in debt with you." Snow says.

They all agree and cheer me up. Hans place a kiss on my cheek that makes me turn the same shade as a tomato. Then he whispers to my ear:

"Good luck."

With a foolish smile on my face I start walking towards the gorgeous girl, ball of plasticine on my pocket.

_Okay, this is going to be difficult._

* * *

I'm not good with human interactions, so I don't know how I'm going to do the task entrusted to me. Should I talk to her first? Or should I just smear it on her hair and run? Maybe it would be less rude if speak to her first… or would it be worst? Maybe if she thinks I'm trying to make friends with her and then I disappoint her, she'll be very sad… but Hans said she has no feelings… but what if it isn't true? Of course it's true; Hans said it.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I crash with the table where she is sited at.

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry." I frantically apologize to her." I just wasn't looking were I was going and…" I look into her eyes, gazing up at me.

_Wow. They're even more beautiful up close._

I wait to her to say something, but she just keeps looking at me with a neutral expression.

"Okay... Uh... Can... Can I sit here?" I ask tentatively.

She nods once and turns her attention to the book she was reading. I pull out the chair and sit on it. Then we're immersed in an awkward silence and I start nervously playing with my braids. Several minutes (or seconds?) pass and I'm still stuck in the most unpleasurable quietness I've ever been. She is not even looking at me and I don't dare look her either. Finally I decide to say something.

"So... uh… Hi."

Seconds pass and she doesn't say anything so I turn my gaze out of her again, feeling a little hurt.

"Hi." She suddenly answers without getting her eyes off of that book.

"H-hi me?" I stutter not expecting her to talk. She nods. "Oh!... uhm… Hi."

"You already said that." She answers.

_Oh my god, her voice is so soft and perfect, though a little bit cold. Well, _a lot_ cold actually._

"D-did I?" I ask dumbly.

"Do you have some memory issues?" She asks annoyed. That makes me feel uncomfortable, it's as if she thinks I'm stupid or something.

"Well, excuse me, miss I'm-the-smartest-girl-in-the-school, but not everyone can be Einstein." I answer in a sour tone of voice.

"I can see that."

"Excuse me? What do you mean with it?"

"I mean there are lots of stupid and reckless adolescents in this High School."

"Including me?" Now I'm mad. Who does she thinks she is?

"Maybe.

_Well, at least she didn't say yes. But what about her neutral expression an her cold voice? And that superiority air surrounding her? Does she descends from royalty or something? I'm so done speaking with her._

Boiling in barely contained rage I push my chair back and prepare to leave, but then I see Hans from his table staring at me, together with all his friends. _My_ friends as well now. I can't disappoint them. Also now I really want to teach her a lesson. Let's take this task seriously.

"You know?" I say more calmly, containing my anger. "I was thinking about just going away since I'm obviously upsetting you, but I felt sorry for seeing you here so lonely."

"I don't need your pity."

"I know, you're independent, I get it. But I also clearly see you can't interact with humans properly and I want to help you. Can we at least be friends?"

_At_ least_?! What else do you want Anna?! A girlfriend, perhaps?! Pay attention to what you're saying!_

"N-not at least be friends, more like _just_ be friends, like not being lovers or girlfriends or anything else. J-just friends" I frantically try to correct my previous words.

I see her sigh in resignation. Then she turns her beautiful eyes to me and answers, again with her unexpressive voice.

"Fine. I think it can't hurt."

She gave me a side smile that almost seems genuine, but her cold mask promptly returns. However, this gives my hopes up. Maybe it won't be so difficult after all.

"Anna." I say extending my arm so she can take my hand.

"Elsa." She answers shaking my hand.

_Her hand feels so soft on mine, though a little bit cold. I like it._

"I like your name. It's beautiful, just as the rest of you." I actually mean it.

"Thanks, you are beautiful as well." The way she says it… it sounds as a phrase she'd memorized and she is saying it because it's the 'polite' thing. However, the way she is fidgeting anxiously with her hands says otherwise. I don't pay mind to it though, I'm just thinking about the plan right now.

"I… will continue reading." She says uncertainly, seeming almost nervous. "I-Is that okay?"

_Okay? It's perfect for my plan!_

"Yeah, sure, do what you want." I answer taking care that my voice doesn't sound strange, so I don't reveal my intentions.

She starts reading again while I think on manner of getting her hair down. That way it would be easier for me to daub the plasticine.

"You know? You have very beautiful hair. I hadn't seen a color like this before."

"Y-yes." She says so quietly I almost can't hear it. "It-it's a family thing."

"Where are you from?" I ask with genuine interest. To have blonde hair of _this_ shade isn't common around here.

"Norway." She answers.

_Well that kinda explains her fair constitution and her crystalline blue eyes._

"You know? I think a pretty hair like this would look even better down." I expected her to rapidly undo her braid at my compliment, but she just shakes her head.

"I prefer it braided." I sigh. Now what?

"Could you at least let me unbraid your hair for a moment? Just to see how it looks like. Then I'll leave it just as it was. Please?" I make a pout and pleading eyes just the moment she turns to look at me. I see her cheeks blushing but I don't think about it.

She sighs.

"Fine, just promise me you'll let it at the same state it is now."

"Anna's word." I say raising my right hand to make the oath. I cautiously take her long braid and I can't help to get amazed by the softness of her hair. It's like touching silk. It's a shame I have to cover it with plasticine. Well… everything for Hans' love and his friends' friendship.

I take off the blue hair band and I feel really strange, it's as if I were undressing her or something, though I bet that sensation is even better… Wait, get a grip Anna! Focus on what you're doing and the reason why you're doing it: the most handsome guy in the Earth.

I run my fingers through her strands, carefully untangling them, marveling at the thinness and healthiness of her hairs, admiring the way they fall over her shoulders making her look even more beautiful, if that is even humanly possible. Maybe she is a Greek goddess? The thought isn't as crazy as it sounds when you see her by yourself. Even Aphrodite would be jealous.

I continue stroking her hair for several minutes, just contemplating it, as someone would admire an art work. It's as if I'm in some kind of trance. However, every good moment has to come to an end. I suddenly see Hans and his friends in the distance pointing to her hair, making signals with their hands to indicate me to put the plasticine on it already. I frown. I don't wanna do it. Deep inside I know it's wrong, but I'm in the point of no return; if I don't do it they'll never accept me, they'll believe that I preferred her instead of them, so I extract the brown ball from my pocket.

I take a little bit of the dough with my left hand and start kneading it, to make it more malleable. Then I put some of it in the fingers of my right hand and continue stroking her hair, making the plasticine stick to the platinum blonde locks, covering their beauty. It's as if someone had put a black fabric above a lantern in a dark room, suddenly nothing looks as before, as if it's pulchritude had been reflecting on all the other things in that cafeteria, given them some of it's light.

I continue smearing it, even if my heart is telling me not to do it, hurting a little with each brown spot on the perfection my hands are holding. I'm ignoring my feelings because my mind tells me that I need to do it if I want to be popular, if I want to have friends and a handsome boyfriend, if I want my life to be perfect.

Finally after several minutes doing it and feeling butterflies on my stomach, hoping she won't notice what I'm doing, I finish putting the plasticine all over her hair. I stop a moment to admire my job.

What once was fair and flawless now is covered with a brown dough that doesn't does it any favor. What was once pleasurable to be seen now is just ridiculous. The dark color seems so out of place, I bet from the distant it actually looks like mud. I can't be happy seeing it, this is not what I wanted. This is _bad_. I shouldn't have done it.

Suddenly I see Hans and his friends taking photos with their cell phones and laughing like crazies, they're making fun of her, it's actually kinda cruel. Elsa just keeps reading her book, oblivious of what's happening, still thinking I have good intentions.

_This is so, so wrong._

I quickly start removing the offensive plasticine, taking care of cleaning her hair as much as I can, hoping no spots remain on it. I soon enough discover it's easier to put it in than to take it off. I'm stuck several minutes on the demanding and complicated task till I can't clean the locks more than that. Then I braid it again, tying it with the hair band.

_Finished! It's not perfect; it still is a little bit stained here and there, but it's better than how it was before, and hopefully she didn't even notice what happened. Maybe she _is_ an ice queen after all._

"Are you done playing with my hair?" She asks. I can't quite tell what's different with her voice, but it sounds strange compared with our little chatting moments ago.

"I wasn't playing, I was just admiring it." I answer trying not to sound too nervous.

"Well, then I should get going to my class. Goodbye Anna." She grabs her book, places it inside her back pack, stands up and walks away, all of this without looking at me one single time and suddenly I feel as if something inside me had suddenly broken, but I can't really tell what.


	2. Guilt

**I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Regret.**

_"__Anna! Hey Anna!" I hear Hans' voice calling my name. I can tell he is approaching, but I don't turn, I just keep staring at the place where I last saw Elsa, feeling something strange inside me, but I really can't tell what this new and unpleasant sensation is. "Anna." He says grabbing my shoulder. This time I turn to see him. He is showing that ravishing smile I've liked so much since the first moment._

God, he is handsome, but Elsa's beauty is so much more astounding… or was, before I screw it up… no, wait, even with her hair full of plasticine Elsa was still gorgeous_._

_"__Anna why didn't you answer me?" He asks pulling me out of my thoughts about that platinum blonde girl._

_"__Sorry." I say "I was just thinking."_

_"__Okay, whatever." He shrugs. "I just wanted to say you were incredible, seriously, the way you gained her trust and actually managed not to let her notice what you were doing… wow, I'd never seen something like that. You're talented."_

_"__Yes, that's true." Various female excited voices behind him agree. I didn't noticed when the rest of his friends arrived to where I am too._

_"__I… I'd prefer if we don't talk about it." I say. I don't want to remember it, but I don't know why._

_"__Come on don't be so modest!" Snow says. "What you did was amazing, many others would have declined or failed, but you… that's what a real friend does." Her voice sounds touched by my actions._

_I feel rare. I know I should be happy. I have now the best friends I could've wished for. They seem to be taken from a High School movie, and they want to accept me! They want me to be part of their group! They're complimenting me! Hans is complimenting me! _Hans_, the best boyfriend option in probably this whole town, but there's still this sensation inside of me, like the one I used to feel when I did some mischief in my years of childhood and I got caught, but it's a lot worse. I decide it's better to say goodbye to them and think about it calmly, but before I can do it Meg takes out his cell phone and shows me the picture on it saying:_

_"__Look how ridiculous she looked. Ha. She's such a looser."_

_What I see in the screen makes me feel even worse. She is there, without doing anything, her expressionless face showing, while I'm sitting at her side, daubing the plasticine. There's nothing strange on it, except my face. I can't recognize me, I have never seen myself like this before. I'm wicked. There's no other way to describe it. _

_The next picture is one of Elsa, with her hair already braided, and me hiding the plasticine on my pocket, a grin of satisfaction painted in my face. This if from the time I finished, when I was thinking she hadn't noticed what I had done and I was feeling proud of my accomplishment._

_Do you know what's the worst part of all? They're laughing while Meg shows the photos. They're laughing as if it's something funny. Maybe it is, but I just can't laugh. I just can't._

_"__I-I should go." I say. I have to go before they see how I feel about this. _

_"__What?" Hans says really confused. "Don't tell me you're regretting what you did." His tone makes it clear that, if my answer is affirmative, there will be bad consequences. I look to the others and they eyes are telling the same._

_"__N-no, of course not." I say. "It's just that I've never done something like that before, and I'm not sure how to feel about it._

_"__Oh, Anna." Ariel says as if pitying me. "You're just a little new mind, ready to be immersed into the real world, but don't worry, we'll led you to the right path."_

_"__R-really?"_

_"__Do you trust us?"_

_It's impossible to answer with a 'no' with all of them expecting for a positive answer, besides I do trust them, they are my friends after all now. They would never do something bad to me, right?_

_"__Yes, of course I trust you." I say with conviction._

_"__Then let us show you how the word works around here." Hans says with a seductive voice._

_"__It's not quite as they told you on the movies." Aurora adds._

_"__Indeed." Hans continues. "This isn't a matter of good versus evil, it's about winners..." He points to himself. "And losers." he grabs his phone and shows me another picture of Elsa with daubed hair. "Both groups are sworn enemies, and you can't be part of one if you defend someone of the other team, do you understand?" I nod. "Good, then decide, which team do you want to be part off? Winners or losers?"_

* * *

I'm walking to my first class thinking about the question Hans asked me yesterday. I didn't _really_ say something, but after that I started laughing about how ridiculous Elsa was, afraid to end up like her if I refused to do what they wanted from me. I think that, even if I didn't voice it, I've already chosen my side. After all, who could ever want to be a loser, right?

I get to my math class on retard, because I woke up fifteen minutes later than what I should have (and yes, maths is always my first class in the mornings, I know, not the best to start the day). I sit there the whole hour doing some exercises Mr. Weselton had written on the chalkboard, fortunately it prevents my mind of wondering too much about what happened yesterday and I'm able to finish them just before the hour ends.

Then, while I'm heading to my next class, someone pucks my shoulder and I turn to find it's Rapunzel. I smile widely, glad to see her, and say hello. She kisses me on the cheek saying hi too, then she speaks:

"So, what did you do with heartbreaker-Hans yesterday after I left you with him?"

I frown at the nickname, but I decide to ignore it for now, then I answer:

"Nothing important, he just introduced me to his friends and we talked a little."

"Really? Just that?"

The gaze she gives me make me wonder if she knows something I'm not aware of. Then I remember about Elsa and the plasticine. Could she be referring to that? Should I tell her? She won't be upset, will she? Hans' friends said what I'd done was very impressive and that I should be proud of it, but the truth is I still don't know if it was good or not, so…

"Y-yes, just that."

"You know you're a terrible liar, right?" She says raising one eyebrow.

"Fine." I sigh. "I may have done something to the Ice Queen."

"So it was you?!" She screams surprised.

"…yes?" I say rubbing the back of my neck. I don't know why but her reaction makes me feel somehow ashamed.

"B-but why?"

"The girls said they wanted revenge for something Elsa had done to them, and Hans wanted to make a joke to her, and they chose me because she didn't know me and she would let me approach her."

"You're aware they only used you to hurt her, right?" She says it as if it were obvious.

"No, they didn't. They said it was what friends do for each other." I feel the urge to defend them, even if a part of me is beginning to doubt their words.

"Hurt someone who hadn't done anything to you?"

"Yes!… No!…she… well, she didn't do anything to _me_, but to them." I see her opening her mouth to say something else, but I interrupt her before she can do it. "Look, if it serves, I wasn't really planning to do it when I accepted it. I was going to talk to the girl and see if she really deserved it."

"And you decided she did." Her expression is making me uncomfortable, it's like the one my mom has when I do something stupid.

"Well, yes! She was so damn rude…"

"Did she say something awful to you?"

"N-no, not really, but…"

"Did she do something, then?" Rapunzel crosses her arms over her chest, which makes me feel like a little girl being scolded.

"No, but that's the problem! She just sat there giving me short answers and not even looking at me. Don't tell me that wasn't rude."

"You don't know why she did it. What if she has a reason? She's been that way ever since she got into this High three years ago, true; that's why she is known as the ice queen, but I've seen with my own eyes that, the more they bully her, the colder she becomes. What if they forced her to be this way?"

I bite my lip, could it be true? Could she have a reason to be so antisocial?

"Well…" I start. "Maybe it's because she is from Norway and she feels strange being in a foreign country."

"What? She is from Norway?" She asks surprised.

"Didn't you know it?"

"Of course not. She just talks when it's strictly necessary and only about school stuff." This wasn't what I was expecting to hear.

I feel bad, _really_ bad. She trusted me enough to somehow interact with me, and I just took advantage of that trust. Isn't that evil? Am I evil because of what I did? I feel uncomfortable, and I don't wanna feel like that, it isn't pleasant. I have to change the topic quickly.

"How did you find out about the plasticine anyways?" I ask.

"Facebook." She states, pulling out her phone and showing me a picture of Elsa with plasticine all over her hair, one of those Meg took.

"I see." I say, lowering my head in shame.

Rapunzel is going to put it on her pocket again when she sees something more on the screen and frowns. Then she makes a motion to me to get close to her, so we can both see what's on the screen. It is a video, apparently published by Ariel.

It starts playing. Elsa is standing in front of Snow, Aurora and Cinderella, and they are talking, Elsa with the same expressionless face as yesterday, however, it seems a cordial chat somehow. My four friends are smiling at her.

_Weird. I thought they didn't speak to her. I thought they hated her._

Then, for some strange reason, Cinderella points to the ground, while the smiles of the other three smile excitedly. In that moment John and Hans arrive and stand behind Elsa, John putting a finger on his lips to indicate silence to the giggling girls in front of the blonde. Elsa, oblivious to this, rises her hand, then her index finger and then the middle one, as if counting, however, while she does that, the boys grab her arms and shoulders, effectively immobilizing her. I let out a gasp. What are they doing?

I see her turning her head to see her captors and screaming, her calm face turning for a second into an angry one just to return to its original state one moment latter. This obviously captures the attention of many students and promptly there's a crowd watching, but no one is doing anything to stop them. John and Febo exchange some words with the girls and then force Elsa to her knees. In that moment I wish to get into that video and help her, seeing how desperate her expression seems for one second, but unfortunately I can't, and I'm sure this happened at least an hour ago, so there's nothing I can do.

_Why are they doing this to her? This is cruel and demeaning. I thought they were good guys. _

I continue watching. Now I see them pushing her to the ground till her face touches Snow's shoe. The sight is horrible and disturbing, but it doesn't end here. Not satisfied with what they have already done, Hans pulls her bangs to make her to move her head backwards, just to press it again on Snow's shoe, this time making her lips touch it. I feel rage burning inside of me at every second, I've never liked it when people abuse of others who are weaker, and for no other reason that have fun at their expense. I don't even wait till the end of the video, I run searching for my 'friends', not hearing Rapunzel shouting after me.

* * *

I search in every classroom, since I suppose they are in class, but I don't see them and I decide to search for them at the school yard.

I find Snow and Ariel there, sitting on a bench, laughing about something. They notice me and wave at me, but I don't wave back, I just keep walking with a determined step and when I'm in front of them I say, almost screaming:

"Why did you do it?!"

"Do what?" Snow asks so innocently that, if it wasn't because I saw the video, I would've thought she really had no idea of what I was talking about.

"You know what I mean. What you did to Elsa."

"Oh… that." She says and then laughs. "I thought you were talking about something bad."

_Something bad? Something _bad_?! How what they did to Elsa wasn't bad?_

"What you did was wrong." I state. "You're cruel." I then turn to Ariel. "All of you."

"Excuse me?" Ariel says, offended. "Look, you piece of…" She was going to say something more, but a glare from Snow made her shut her mouth.

"If you think _we_ are cruel, then what are _you_?" Snow asks.

"Wh-what?" I don't understand what she means by it.

"You made something awful to a girl you didn't even know, a girl who hadn't done anything to you, and yet you say we_ are_ the cruel ones."

_She is right. At least they had reasons to treat her like that. She had done something to them. What I did yesterday, on the other hand… I didn't have a reason, except…_

"I did that for you, to gain your friendship. You can't blame me for that."

"Yes, we can't blame you, but that doesn't change the fact that you're a bad person now, Anna."

I frown. I've always considered myself as a good person, but what I did yesterday was pretty bad, and I knew it, and it actually scares me that I agreed to do it so easily and that at the end of the day I actually enjoyed it somehow, I enjoyed the approval that came with it, and deeply inside I know that, if time could be reversed, I would still make the same decision.

_She is right. I am a bad person._

"So don't think you can come and scold us for our actions." Snow continues. "Because yours are worst."

_But… maybe I'm bad, but they're bad too._

"Fine, you're right." I admit. "I'm not a good person." She smiles at it. "But you aren't one either." Her smile fades. "And I don't like it. Promise me you will not do anything bad to Elsa, or anyone, again."

She frowns, but still answers:

"Fine, I won't do anything bad to anyone again." She smirks mischievously. "… unless they deserve it, of course."

This isn't what I wanted to hear, but I think it's as good as it can get, so I nod.

"Fine, but only if they _really_ deserve it." I say and then I turn to Ariel and stare at her expectantly.

"What?" She asks.

"Promise it too." I demand.

"But I'm the best person in the whole world." She protests angrily, but Snow elbows her and she sighs. "Fine, I promise I'll never hurt someone on propose."

"Good." I say, smiling, feeling almost like a hero. "I promise it too. From now on I'll be good."

"Oh, Anna." Snow says with a tone of voice I can't really identify, it sounds like an understanding tone, but also as if she were pitying me somehow… but that doesn't make sense, why would she pity me? "You're so innocent and tender."

"Yeah." Ariel says, half-laughing. "It's almost a shame."

"What's a shame?" I ask.

"Nothing." Snow quickly says, elbowing Ariel again to shut her up.

"Ooookay." I say confused. "I think I should go to my class, then. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Anna." They both say at the same time. Then they kiss me on the cheek and I leave to my class.

* * *

It turned out that my teacher didn't allow me to come into the classroom. Who could've know that there was a time limit to arrive to the class? I didn't, that's for sure. Well, from now on I'll be careful to always arrive at time. Meanwhile, in the time I had left until my next class, I went to the grocery shop that was at the school and bought a cookies &amp; cream Hersey's chocolate, my favorite. Why? Well, it wasn't for me, but for Elsa, to compensate what they did to her today and what I did yesterday, like an apology. I hope it'll make her feel better and that also will alleviate the guilt that I've been carrying.

Some classes pass and I don't see Elsa, not even when I go to my locker to retrieve my books after every class. When I arrive to English, the last class for today, I almost don't have any hope of seeing her. It's a shame, I really wanted to see her again, partially because I wanted to give her the chocolate and partially because I wanted to make sure I didn't just imagined those blue eyes, rosy lips, platinum blonde hair and perfect curves that could drive anyone crazy.

I enter to the classroom and see Meg and Ariel waving at me, smiling. I smile and wave in return, then I go sit next to them and we start talking about many things, however, I completely forget about the conversation when a certain blonde goddess steps into the classroom. I quickly turn around pretending I didn't see her, but I continue gazing at her by the corner or my eyes, my heart racing like crazy, my cheeks red and a thousand butterflies on my stomach.

_Why am I so nervous? Is it just because I'll have to talk to her latter in order to give her the chocolate? But why I don't feel like this about interacting to other people?_

When she passes I notice she has a stain of coffee on her t-shirt. One could've thought that she had spilled it on her accidentally if the spot didn't reach her back. Someone should had spilled it on her. I don't know why but I suddenly feel angry towards whoever it was who made this. I don't know why I'm so protective with the girl, I don't even know her. Maybe it's the guilt I feel for what I did yesterday.

The teacher gets in and starts with the class. Every passing minute my nervousness grows to the point I'm even sweating, fidgeting with my hands, moving unsteadily on my sit and not thinking about anything but the prospect of speaking to Elsa the moment the hour finishes.

When the torture… ehm… _class_ is finally over, I grab my things and quickly put them on my backpack, seeing Elsa doing the same, then I say goodbye to my friends who stand there confused as I run to the exit calling for Elsa just as she is getting out of the classroom.

"Elsa! Elsa, wait!"

She accelerates her pace, but I'm able to catch her and hold her hand, keeping her from leaving. I blush at the physical contact with the impossibly attractive girl.

"Where you running away or something?" I say half-joking, but wanting to know if she was running from me. Maybe she knows I'm part of Hans' friends now? My heart sinks at the thought of her being afraid of me and thinking I'm going to hurt her.

_Well, I _did _do something bad to her yesterday, but she didn't notice it, so it doesn't count… right?_

She turns her face towards me, not saying a word and with that mask of indifference that almost makes me give up talking to her that very moment, but I'm very persistent (or stubborn?).

"It's incredible we're going to have English class together." I say to make some conversation before getting to the point. The exited tone comes natural from me "I didn't know you were a junior, though. You look older, actually."

_What did I say?! It sounded bad._

"N-not that you look old, or something, j-just more mature. You look more mature than the others." I correct my words, internally cursing myself for stuttering and being so damn nervous.

She doesn't say anything and her expressionless face is not helping at all, actually it makes me more insecure of what I'm doing.

"So..." I say, knowing I have to get down to business before the situation becomes even more awkward. "I... I heard about what happened this morning." The sole memory of the video makes me feel bad. "You know, about Snow and the shoe... and... well I just wanted to say I'm sorry. They were cruel, y-you didn't deserve it, so… I-I'm sorry about it."

"You don't have to apologize." She says. My face raises at the sound, meeting her precious icy blue eyes. Her voice is so damn beautiful. "It wasn't your fault. You weren't even there."

_True but yesterday's events were all my handwork._

The guilt is eating me alive.

"I-I know, it's just… they are my friends, so…" I just admitted I'm friends with the ones who bully her. Wonderful. I have to change the topic before she wants to hit me or something. "Don't worry, I talked to them about it and they promised they won't do it again."

I wait for her reaction, but no feeling shows in her face. I better give her the chocolate now and leave, she clearly is not enjoying this conversation.

"Anyways." I sigh. "Let's forget about those awful things." I start searching for the chocolate bar on my backpack. "I bought you something." Finally I find it and extend it in her direction. "I-I know It isn't too much and it doesn't compensate what happened in the morning, b-but my mother always says that even the worst pain can be bearable with a little bit of chocolate, so…"

She takes it with uncertainty and examines it, but she doesn't say anything and her façade just fades a little for an instant showing what seems like surprise. I think that was just my imagination though, because it doesn't last. I suppose she is not reacting because she doesn't like my little present.

"S-sorry if you don't like it." I rush to apologize. "I didn't know which was your favorite or if you even like chocolate…" The stupidity of all this suddenly reveals in my mind, and all my insecurities come crashing me like a huge tsunami. "Wait… You like chocolate, right? Please, tell me you like chocolate. It would be so awkward if you don't." My entire self-esteem now depends on her answer.

"T-thank you." She says after seconds of agonizing silence. Her voice sounds strange, as if her throat was swollen, but I don't pay attention to it, because in that moment her expression is different, and it amazes me. She is smiling, but not with her lips. She is smiling with her eyes. I don't think she has realized it, but it's as clear as the day. She is happy, and it's because of me. I feel proud of my accomplishment, but not as I felt yesterday when I managed to daub her hair without being noticed, It's different, it's a warm sensation, it's wonderful.

"Well, then I think I'll go to my house now." I say happily. "See you tomorrow."

I squish her hand, which I hadn't noticed to be holding the entire time, and I blush deeply before releasing it and walking away, turning just once to wave at her. She waves back and smiles, this time not just with her eyes, but also with her lips. It's the first time I've seen her doing that, and it's the most beautiful sight in the whole planet. It almost makes my heart stop, but it ends as quickly as it started, that stupid mask taking its place again over the gorgeous girl's features.

She turns to leave too and I continue walking, promising to myself that I won't ever do anything bad to her again. From now on, I'll always try to make her smile, to make her be happy, to make her express her feelings. Yes, from now on my mission will be to break the barriers of the Ice Queen.


	3. Fashion emergency

**Chapter 3: Fashion emergency.**

One month I've been in this school, and let me tell you it all have been wonderful. My teachers aren't too bad and I'm quite advanced in many subjects, one of the advantages of being taught at home. Also, all of my friends promised me they won't do anything bad to anyone, and, at the moment they're still keeping their promise. Talking about my friends, my relationship with them is going on very well, though at first I thought they were kind of possessive towards me, I mean, they won't leave me alone for one second when I'm not in my class, so I just get to be with Rapunzel during history and on my way home (It turned out we're almost neighbors, how cool is that?), however, when I confronted my friends about their possessiveness, they said they just wanted to get to know me better, so the most time they spent with me, the soonest they would know me. I figured out it would best to drop the subject since they could think I don't want to be with them if I insist them to give me more privacy, so I decided to just let it be.

That's also a reason of why I haven't talk to Elsa as much as I wanted to. I've had some conversations with her during English class (I started sitting beside her), but they're mostly me talking and her listening. She's very good at listening and paying attention to two things at the same time. At first I thought she was ignoring me when I was telling her something and she continued taking notes, just nodding from time to time as a sign of being listening, but then at the end of the class, while we were putting our belongings on our backpacks, she told me her opinion about what I had told her and said it was a welcomed distraction from the boring class. She also said she liked hearing my voice.

That's how our interactions have been since then. I really like taking to her. She's very polite, but she'd still tell me her opinion if she doesn't agree with me, and sometimes she'd give me good advices. I can say with no doubt that English is my favorite class of the day. However, as much as I like being listened by Elsa, she still is so expressionless and cold; I haven't been able to get another smile from her since the day I gave her the chocolate, so even if I appreciate her company (partially because of her gorgeous appearance that, for some strange reason, makes butterflies appear on my stomach every time I look at her), I don't really consider her my friend and I don't think she sees me as a friend either. We're just good classmates and that's all.

The ones who have been nicest to me, besides Rapunzel, are Hans and Meg, though whenever I am with one of them, the other would never speak to me till the other leaves. It's kinda weird actually, I thought they were friends. Whatever, the point is, even if things with Meg have been very well, let me tell you things with Hans are a _lot_ better, and I think I prefer his company, though maybe it has something to do with the fact that I like him… well I like Meg too, but you know what I mean when I say I _like_ Hans.

¿How do I know I like Hans? Well, he is handsome, and nice, and intelligent and a dream come true. I'm supposed to like him. Plus, Hans has been spending every single opportunity he gets with me, he's even skipped some classes (and make me skip some too) so we can be together. On those times we'd just sit somewhere and speak about many things. He's very smart, which is an extra point, actually he's smarter than me, though he says it's normal because I'd never attended to school before. However he admits I'm more intelligent than most girls, and we'd laugh about Snow and the others' stupidity (At first I felt bad for that, because it's kinda mean, but what they don't know won't hurt them, right?).

To be fair, I don't have anything against Snow White or the other girls, at first I was afraid of them stealing Hans from me, but none of them want anything to do with him in a romantic way, they say he is just their friend and that it'd be weird to like him like that. I remember when I told them about my feelings towards Hans, they reacted very well.

* * *

"Sooo, Anna." Ariel said casually one time when we were talking about boys (y'know, saying that most of them are ugly and only a few from the football team are actually handsome). "Do you have someone special?"

"M-me?" I stuttered. They nodded waiting expectantly for my answer. "Oh… mmmh…" I trusted them enough to tell them, but I didn't know how they were going to react, so I was a little nervous. "Yeah… there is someone…" I blushed at the admission.

"Is he handsome?" Cinderella asked excitedly.

"You bet he is." I answered. "He has auburn hair, dreamy green eyes, very attractive facial features, big enough muscles…"

"Wait." Meg interrupted. "Are you talking about Hans?" She asked irritated.

"Well… yes." I answered, surprised about her tone of voice.

"Oh, that's fantastic Anna!" Ariel screamed jumping on excitement.

"Yes, it is." Aurora said. "Hans is very handsome."

"And chivalrous." Cinderella added.

"And an asshole." Meg stated with a sour tone of voice. I concluded she had something against him. Maybe they weren't friends after all?

"Hans is very nice." Snow White said, ignoring Meg's comment. "But I really don't think he likes girls like you."

_Ouch. That hurts. But I suppose they're right, he is perfect and I'm so normal, I could never be at his level… But then why did he started talking to me if he doesn't like me?_

The girls should have noticed how much the words hurt me, because Ariel quickly added:

"It's not as if you aren't pretty or something."

"Yeah, you're not ugly at all." Cindy said.

"Of course not, you have nice… uh… hair?" Aurora said, hesitating slightly at the last part.

"And body. Look at those curves." Meg said eying at me with a gaze I had only seen in nature documentals when predators are about to caught their pray.

"Yes, that's all true." Snow interrupted. "But she doesn't have the essential. Your hair could have a pretty color but you braid it as if you were a five year old girl. Do you think that attracts men?"

"I-I like my hair braided." I tried to defend myself.

"Yes, you do, but what about the others?" Well, definitely that shut my mouth. I never before thought about what the others would think. "And your clothes!" She screamed as if it was an offense to wear my clothes. It made me feel ashamed. "Where do you buy your clothes?"

"Uhm… I don't know?" I said with a questioning tone, feeling strange with the way they were looking at me. "My mom buys them for me."

"No, no, no, no, no." Cindy exclaimed. "She can't continue buying them for you. You're fifteen now, you have to choose them by yourself."

I thought about it for an instant.

_Maybe they're right. I should be able to make my own decisions, to be more independent, to choose what I want to wear and what I don't. It's not as if I don't like the clothes my mother buys me, but still it would be nice to buy them myself._

"No!" Snow said surprisingly loudly and high pitched. "Cindy, how do you think she will be able to pick her clothes if she hasn't done it before? She can't do it, but we will help her."

"Y-you'll do?" I asked confused and surprised, but in a good way.

"Of course, silly, we are your friends." Ariel said.

"Yes, it's a 'Fashion emergency'!" Snow exclaimed excitedly. "We'll help you look pretty to impress Hans."

After that, operation 'Fashion emergency' started. They took me to the mall to buy all sorts of things, from clothes and make up to an i-phone (My cellphone was not expensive enough to be consider fancy), and even a new hairstyle. The only problem was they chose everything for me, they didn't even let me buy a chocolate ice-cream (buying me instead a sugar-free, natural yoghurt ice-cream) because they said I would get fat, even after I told them I usually eat chocolate all day without gaining even a kilogram.

'Fashion emergency' wasn't nearly as simple as I had imagined it, it wasn't just about improving my wardrobe and hair style, but it also included lessons about how to walk, how to talk, how to eat, _what_ to eat (Yes, they said I was fat, because I had five kilograms more than Snow, and that I needed to make diet. No chocolates for me from now on, only apples), which music to listen (They said it was a crime not to have ever listened to Justin Bieber or One Direction before), which movies to see… and the list keeps going.

I didn't mind all the attention and the help the girls gave me, but something just didn't feel right, something was making me feel uncomfortable. I don't know, maybe it was the way they criticized everything about me, telling me how I had to change, how I had to stop being me. Today morning was a special occasion because of how hurtful they words were... And some other reasons.

* * *

"Anna, you can't buy that shirt." Snow said earlier today. We had gone to the mall and I was trying on some clothes.

"Why not?" I asked. "I like it. It's green, my favorite color, and it combines with my hair."

"_Because _it's sleeveless." Ariel answered as a matter of factly.

"So?"

"It shows your freckles."

My freckles have always been one of my most notorious imperfections. They're all over my body, but there are more on my cheeks and shoulders. We've already covered the ones on my face with makeup, but those which are on my shoulders and arms are another story. Before, I never felt ashamed of my freckles; even if I wished I had flawless skin as my mother, I never thought about covering them. However, the girls have opened my eyes, showing me that freckles are ugly and need to be concealed. It was still hurtful to hear them say it, though.

"I like her freckles." Meg defended me. "They look cute on her."

I smiled, thankful for the compliment, even if I myself didn't agree with it. Freckles are bad.

"That's because you have a very poor sense of beauty." Snow retorted. "Beauty is perfection. Freckles are imperfections. Thus, Freckles are ugliness."

All the girls, except Meg, nodded in agreement. She just rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. I gave up, probably they were right, so I just went to try something else. I chose a very nice white summer dress with yellow flowers printed on it and went to show it to my friends and see if it'll get their approval. I really hoped it did, since I really liked it.

"You look gorgeous in that, Anna." Meg said with eyes opened wide. "I could take you against the wall here and now… If I was a man, that is." She adds after an awkward moment of strange stares from the other girls and a confused one from me.

"Calm down, you pervert dyke." Snow interfered, eying her with what could only be describe as despise, making Meg frown with anger and me with confusion. What's a dyke? Is it a bad word? "Pay attention, it doesn't fits her well."

"Why not?" Ariel asked. "The color goes perfect with her hair and skin tone, and it has short sleeves that cover most of her shoulders' freckles. Besides, it accentuates her curves."

"Yes, but look at the cleavage." Cindy answered. "It's obviously been designed for fuller breasts than hers. "

"Of course, which cup are you, A?" Asked Aurora.

"Uh…" I felt ashamed. Yes, my cup was the smallest of all, an 'A' cup. My mother had told me not to worry about it, that my breasts will eventually grow, but the prettiest girls usually have large breasts. "Yeah." I nodded defeated. "I'm an 'A' cup."

"Oh, don't be so sad." Ariel said. "It is true that breast size is half of a woman's beauty, but… you still could be half-pretty?" She said trying to sound encouraging, but failing terribly. She is _at least_ a 'B' cup, of course she doesn't know about the misfortune of having barely noticeable breasts.

"Yes, having big boobs is very important." Aurora agreed. "That's practically all boys look at when searching for a girl, you're doomed if you are as flat as a table and still want to find a boyfriend. But you could still pray that Hans isn't too superficial." Her words were not encouraging at all. I felt pretty bad for being so full of imperfections, why did I ever think I could be with Hans in a romantic way?

"Don't worry." Snow said, probably noticing me drowning in self-despise. "Not all hope is lost. You could make them look bigger."

"Really?" I asked hopefully. "How?"

"Using a padded bra, of course." I stare at her dumbly, not knowing what a padded bra is. "Or if you don't want people seeing you buying something like that, you could still put something inside your brazier."

"Like paper balls." Cindy suggested.

"That would look strange. Lemons are better." Ariel said.

"Or unicel balls." Aurora said.

"Do you use all of those?" I ask.

"No, of course not!" They all say simultaneously, clearly upset by my question.

"That's only for girls who don't have boobs." Snow clarified.

I supposed they were right, I mean, they all are B or C cups, but it still hurt that they all agreed I have small boobs. Even Meg, who usually defends me, didn't say anything this time.

"Well, then I think I shouldn't buy this dress." I said defeated. I really wanted to buy it.

"Well maybe the cleavage isn't perfect for you, but the dress shows your legs, and they look very nice." Meg tried to lift my spirits. "Maybe you should try with something similar; another dress or a skirt."

_Well, at least a part of my body is attractive. I should follow her advice. _

"Don't be ridiculous Meg." Snow almost screamed. "Her legs are too short to be attractive, and not slim enough. Besides, they also have freckles, and there are scars at the knees."

"I'm a little bit clumsy." I muttered, though 'a little bit clumsy' is an understatement; my knees have scars over scars, but I really thought they were not noticeable, I mean, they're the same color the rest of my skin. However, the rest of the things she said are absolutely true and it made me wonder, how could I ever think I was pretty before? I have nothing beautiful on me. I almost wanted to cry there and then.

"Also…" Snow continued. "Her legs have hairs. Anna, dear, how long has it been since the last time you depilated your legs?"

"Mmmmhhh… never?" I said feeling ashamed. The strange looks they all gave me only worsened the situation. "I shaved them… a long while ago." The last time I shaved them was the day before the classes started.

"At least she was honest." Ariel said, looking closely at my legs. "A long while ago."

"You shouldn't shave them." Aurora chastised me. "It'll only make the hairs grow thicker the next time."

"Also, the skin feels scratchy." Cindy added.

"Depilation is better. Each time there will grow less and less hairs." Snow concluded.

"But depilation hurts." I protested, knowing in advance that it wouldn't matter to them.

"It's a little sacrifice you must do. No one said being beautiful was easy." Ariel answered. I sighed in resignation.

"Fine." I sighed. "I will depilate my legs, and now I think I should take off this dress and find something else." I sighed again. "I really liked this dress."

"Some clothes are just not for you, and you must accept it." Snow said.

I turned towards the fitting rooms, ready to change into my own clothes, but I stopped when I heard a beautiful voice, it was soft, confident and shy at the same time. Just loud enough to be heard. I knew that voice.

"I-I think she looks gorgeous in that dress."

I turned around to face the owner of the voice, the other girls doing the same. It was Elsa. Yes, Elsa Frost (If you're wondering how I knew her last name, the English teacher always calls her that), the one and only, the most beautiful girl on Arendelle High School and probably any other high school on the world. The Ice Queen. She was standing behind my friends, her arms crossed and the same cold face as always, though her cheeks were a little pink.

"What are you doing here, Ice Queen?" Snow asked in a hostile tone.

"I was just buying something." She answered looking at the other girl at the eyes. I've never seeing her that confident with something not related to school.

"Well, no one here wants your useless opinions, _dyke_." Cindy spat. Elsa's expression fell only for a moment, but then her mask promptly showed up again.

_That word again: 'dyke'. I wonder what does it means, it seems to be used as an insult. Should I ask them? Would I look too stupid?_

"Yes, Anna won't listen to a stupid nerd who doesn't know the first thing about fashion, so _fuck off_." Ariel shooed her away. I wondered what reason do they have to be so rude to her, I mean, she was only giving an opinion.

Elsa looked at me expectantly, her gaze softening a little, as if wanting to see if I also wanted her to go away.

"Do you really think I look fine with this dress?" I asked her.

She looked at me from head to toes, her eyes studying my every curve and suddenly I felt really nervous, almost as if I was standing completely naked in front of her, and I desperately wanted to hear her opinion, to know if I was attractive enough for her… n-not as if she could be attracted to me, I mean, we're both women, that would be strange, b-but… you know what I mean. Finally she took her eyes off of me, blushing deeply and smiling shyly.

"No, you don't look fine with that dress." She said. I almost felt like throwing myself out of the window that instant (and we were at the second floor), before hearing what she said next. "You look very beautiful… even more than you usually do."

My heart started running in my chest at a pace so fast I thought I was going to pass out. A smile appeared on my face. I wanted to jump over her in that instant and hug her tightly. She made my day.

Suddenly our eyes found each other and none of us broke the contact. She was so beautiful, even without makeup or expensive clothes and having her hair braided. She didn't need anything to improve her appearance, just her shy smile and blush at her cheeks, it was natural beauty. I could have almost been jealous if I didn't prefer to see such beauty in someone else. It pleased my eyes.

"Hello? Earth to Anna!" Ariel said, moving her hand up and down in front of me to catch my attention.

"S-sorry… W-what?" I asked, suddenly surprised of noticing the others' presence.

"I was saying you should take that dress off so we can go to find something else on another shop." Snow said.

"Y-yes, of course." I stuttered. "I'm gonna change then."

I did as I told them and, once I got out of the fitting rooms wearing my normal clothes and with the dress on my right hand, I found the girls taking to each other, completely ignoring Elsa, who was standing awkwardly a few feet away from them. I smiled, glad that she didn't leave while I was changing my clothes.

"Should we get going?" I asked. Instantly they all looked at me and nodded.

We all headed to the shop's exit, Elsa walking behind the other girls, so I slowed my pace to be beside her. She looked at me confused and I only gave her a little smile. I was very thankful towards her, if it wasn't for her I would have keep thinking I was an ugly monster, but I know she is always sincere, so I can trust her opinion.

We were almost arriving at the line to pay when Elsa opened her mouth as if trying to say something to me, but she was interrupted by Ariel who asked me in that instant:

"Anna, aren't you going to give that dress to an employee, since you're not buying it?"

I stared at the dress still clamped in my hands and then at Elsa. She had said I looked beautiful in it, and even if she is not a fashion expert like the other girls, I thought her opinion counted more for me, for some strange reason. Maybe it was because I wanted her to think I'm attractive, it didn't really matter to me what the other girls thought about my appearance, it was Elsa the one I wanted to impress in that moment. Why the sudden change? I don't know, but that was what I felt then.

"I'm going to buy it." I said.

"What?!" All of them except Meg screamed in disbelief. Meg only smirked as if she was finding the situation funny.

"I like it, so I'll buy it." I repeated. I had never talked to them like that, but somehow Elsa's presence gave me the confidence to do so.

"But Anna, didn't you hear a thing of what we said?" Snow asked.

"Yes, I heard you, but I still want to buy it."

With that I walked towards the cashier, even after seeing the shocked expressions of their faces, and handed the dress to the employee with a smile. Then, while he was registering it on the cashbox I turned to see Elsa behind me, waiting for her turn to buy what she had chosen (just a plain white shirt). She was giggling behind her hand, something I had never saw before, and let me tell you it was a very amazing view. After seeing that I really can't understand why they call her the Ice Queen; she is so cute. I smiled and winked at her, as if we were doing some kind of mischief, though in reality I was just buying a dress because she told me it made me look gorgeous, even if my friends didn't have the same opinion. She stopped her giggling, blushed at my gesture and diverted her gaze. I didn't think much about her strange reaction because in that moment the employee asked me to give him the cash.

After we had bought our respective clothes, we all exited the shop and then I told the girls:

"I think I should go now. It's getting late and I have homework to do, so I guess I'll see you the day after tomorrow."

"I could escort you to your house, if you want." Elsa offered. "It's on my way home and I was also leaving."

I opened my mouth to say that indeed I would like her company (I wanted to spend more time with this unexpectedly talkative and nice side of Elsa I had never seen before) when Snow interfered:

"Actually, Elsa, we wanted to ask you to hang out with us a little more."

"I'm sorry, but I also have homework to do." She replied.

"Oh, but I_ insist_. I know we haven't treat you very nicely, but we really want to change that. We want to be your friends, right girls?" They all nodded and Elsa gulped, her face turning paler than usual. I supposed it was because she isn't used to be with other people, so I rushed to rescue her.

"She could hang out with you any other day. I want some company on my way home."

"I could accompany you if you want." Meg offered.

I wanted to say no, but it would have been rude. I still wanted to go with Elsa, though, so I came with the solution to my dilemma:

"You can both come with me."

"Don't be silly Anna." Cindy said. "Meg is more than enough to keep you company. Let us borrow Elsa for today." She placed her hand on Elsa's shoulder as she said the last part. The girl shivered a little but didn't say anything.

I wanted to protest once more, but a glare from Snow was enough to shut my mouth. I had already pushed my luck with them earlier by buying a dress they had told me not to buy, and I didn't want to taste the limits of their patience.

_A walk with Meg instead of Elsa won't kill me, right? And this could be a very good opportunity for Elsa to make some friends; she so lonely sometimes. Besides, if she makes friends with them, we all could hang out together in the future._

Trying to convince myself that it was for the best, but not entirely succeeding (there was a strange sensation on my guts telling me it wasn't the right decision), I finally spoke:

"I… suppose it's a good idea. I'm sure you can become friends, don't you think so, Elsa?"

Part of me was hoping she'd make an excuse to avoid being with them and came with me instead, and for the anxious look she had I thought for a moment she would do that, but to my disappointment, she said:

"Yes, I… I suppose we can." She almost sighed while saying it, her expression fell, but she didn't protest anymore, so I supposed she was not completely opposed to the idea of staying.

"Well, then we should go now." Meg said, placing her arm around my shoulders. A frown appeared at Elsa's face for a moment, but it disappeared as quickly as it came making me wonder if it was actually real. "Goodbye, girls." She proceeded to kiss them all (except Elsa, of course) on the cheek and I did the same, though I did kissed Elsa, and it felt wonderful (her skin is so soft!).

"See you." I said.

Then Meg and I turned to leave the mall, heading towards my house.


	4. Betrayal

**Chapter 4: Betrayal.**

Today is Tuesday. Today I'll get to see Elsa. Yesterday I saw her, of course, but she was far away from me and when I called her name it seemed as she didn't hear me, and then when I tried to approach her, she got into her class. It was very frustrating because I really wanted to talk to her after what happened on the mall this weekend; it intrigues me to know if the Ice Queen actually has a warm side.

Whatever, the point is, today I will talk to her during English class and, with a little bit of luck, she'll open up a little more. We could even become friends! Oh, how I'd love to be friends with such a beautiful, perfect, gorgeous, smart, kind and absolutely perfect girl!

The first hours pass like _years_ and I really don't pay any attention to what the teachers are saying, daydreaming about what I will tell Elsa and what she may answer.

_"__Hello." I'll say. She'll look up from her notebook with those beautiful blue eyes and smile only for me._

_"__Hi." She'll answer with that shy voice if hers, and her cheeks will become pink, contrasting nicely with her pale constitution. She'll be so cute that I won't resist the urge to compliment her._

_ "__You are so beautiful." I'll say caressing the soft skin of her cheeks. "Your eyes are as blue as the color of the sky during a cold winter, but still hold the comforting warm of a good fire at the forest. Your skin is as white and flawless as the snow that falls in your native country, and you, yourself, with your personality that for others is cold, are as unique as a single snowflake that is amazing in its own special way, and that could never be replicated."_

_She'll sigh and blush at my words, but she is shy and doesn't talk too much, so she'll just say what she wants with actions. She'll lean in, closing the distance within our faces until we'll be able to feel each other breath, and then our lips will touch and…_

"WAIT, WHAT?!"

"Miss Summers!" Mr. Weselton yells very angrily.

My eyes widen when I suddenly realize that I've stood up and scream that out loud. Now every pair of eyes in the classroom is pointed in my direction and I feel utterly embarrassed.

"Is it that hard for you to believe that the parabolas' equation is quadratic?"

"N-no… I-I mean yes?" I really don't know what the right answer is, because he seemed angry at both. "I mean…"

"Enough! Sit down, Miss Summers, and try to pay attention this time or you'll have to get out of this classroom."

"Y-yes, Mr. Weaseltow… Weselton."

I quickly sit down again, trying to seem concentrated on the stupid equations. I dare to take a glance of the teacher and I almost flinch when I see his glare. Without doubt, if stares could kill I'd be dead by now.

I don't know what happened to me… well, actually I _do_ know. That sudden dream caught me out of guard, I mean I'm a girl, and a girl shouldn't be fantasizing about those things. I should be dreaming about my first kiss with Hans or even any other boy, but with _Elsa_? She is also a girl for god's sake! I must be losing my mind because of the anxiety of the waiting, yes that should be it.

* * *

Finally, English class, which unfortunately for me is the last class of the day, comes. I'm so excited! Finally I'm going to see Elsa! I try to not get my hopes up because this could be just as any English class, I mean, after all, the behavior Elsa had at the mall was the exception, not the rule, but still, I can't put a hold on myself.

"Hey, Anna, why are you so excited?" Meg asks from behind me, obviously noticing my odd behavior, since I'm shifting anxiously in my chair and playing with my hair.

"Oh, it's nothing really." I answer trying to sound nonchalant because I know the girls told me not to even think about Elsa since she's technically a 'looser', and even if I don't care about it at all, I don't need them knowing that she's on my mind all the time.

"Doesn't seem like nothing." She mutters, so that only I can hear her, however I don't have the time to reply since in that moment the most beautiful girl in the entire world comes through the door.

"Elsa, Elsa!" I shout while standing up and waving enthusiastically at her. She looks at me for a moment and her gaze seems sad, which worries me, but suddenly she becomes as cold as ever and walks towards the back of the classroom without even sparing a second glance at me or saying hello. She utterly, _completely_, ignores me, and that hurts badly.

_What happened? I thought we were more than fine after this weekend. Why doesn't she even look at me anymore? Heck, why did she sit at the other side of the classroom instead of at my side as always? Is she avoiding me? Why? I didn't do anything wrong._

I start walking in her direction, but a hand stops me before I can make two paces. I turn to see it's Meg, holding my wrist, and I want to yell at her when she points to the door with her head and I see the teacher getting in. I reluctantly sit down, looking at Elsa one last time just as the class begins. She is just sitting there, taking notes, as if she didn't care about anything else. Doesn't she misses me by her side as I miss her? I look at the empty sit beside me and a knot forms in throat, while tears appear on my eyes. I try to get rid of them but I know I'm about to cry at any moment, and I can't let that happen. I can't let Elsa seeing what effect she has on me.

I quickly grab my belongings and stand up walking to the entrance, not paying attention to Meg saying: "What are you doing?". I only stop briefly to say to the teacher with the voice of someone about to cry:

"I'm not feeling very well, can I retire?"

He sees me so bad that he nods and I rush out of the classroom, running to find somewhere where I can cry alone. However, as I'm passing through an empty hall I bump into someone familiar: Hans.

"Hey Anna, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on class?" He asks. Then he looks at my eyes and probably notices how puffy and wet they are, as well as my sad face. "What happened?" He looks concerned while he asks.

"N-nothing" I say, but remembering it all, I start sobbing badly. I try to wipe my tears, but it's useless; more come in replacement.

"Well, it looks like something. C'mon, I'll take you somewhere where you can cry without anyone seeing you."

I nod because I can't speak right now. And he leads me towards some lonely corner at the school's halls, though I'm not really seeing where are we going, and we sit at a bench. Just then he places his arm around my shoulders, hands me a tissue and asks once more:

"Well? What happened?"

"E-Elsa." I say between sobs. "S-she doesn't s-speak to me anymore. I… I don't understand."

"I told you not to even _look_ at her anymore. This is all your fault for not listening to me." He says somewhat annoyed while removing his arm from my body.

I cry even louder. I'm mad at him for not supporting me in this circumstances, for not trying to comfort me, for just sitting there watching me cry with his neutral face, It's as if he was waiting for a child to stop her tantrum.

"Y-you a-are not helping." I say angrily.

"I tried to, but you ignored me! When I said you shouldn't be friends with Elsa I didn't do it because I didn't want you to make more friends aside from us, but because she is a bad person and she hates us. Obviously she saw you hanging out with me and the girls and so she decided to pretend to be your friend, just to ignore you the next moment to make you suffer and, since you are so painfully innocent, you fell in her trap."

_Could he be right? Elsa isn't capable of doing something like that, is she? I don't think so, but it's true that I don't really know anything about her, while she knows a lot from me. Maybe she also planned to know me more and then use that information against me? She did never try to make a real conversation and she was never friendly with me except at the mall. Now she ignores me when I haven't done anything wrong to her. Friends doesn't do things like that. On the other hand, if she really wanted to make me feel badly… It all kind of makes sense._

I don't want to believe it. It hurts to think that Elsa, who even if I didn't want to admit it, was becoming someone important to me, was just trying to make me suffer all this time, even when I haven't been anything but good to her, and why? Just because I'm a friend of the ones she hates? That's not really a reason, not when it was me who persuaded them not to bully her anymore. She shouldn't have reasons to hate them (or hate _me_) now, but it all points to what Hans said. Elsa, the Ice Queen, has a frozen heart like all those rumors, which I never wanted to believe, say. I feel stupid for not seeing it before, I mean, everyone in the school knew she was a bitch, and they've known her longer than me, but I, as the naive girl I am, didn't listen to all of them. If only I'd have done it I wouldn't be crying now.

After a few minutes sobbing with my face between my hands, Hans finally speaks again.

"You know? I think I know how to make you feel better." I look up at him with hope. "Revenge."

"B-but isn't r-revenge bad?" I ask weakly. He seems to think about it for a moment before answering.

"Not really. It's just another word for justice."

"S-still I rea-really don't want to d-do anything b-bad to Elsa."

"Why? Look at yourself. She made you cry and you still don't want her to pay for it?" He says exasperated. "I'm starting to think that she's not just a classmate for you as you've told me, but something more. A friend perhaps?"

I rush to deny it. I don't want him to think I'm being friends with the "enemy", nor to seem more pathetic for actually caring about the girl who just openly ignored me, and also I don't want to admit to myself that I had started to see Elsa as a… well maybe not completely as a friend, but definitely as someone who I care for.

"Well, then if you don't see her as a friend, why don't you want to avenge what she did to you?"

_I really don't have an answer for that. Not one that doesn't sound as if I'm a complete idiot at least. All that comes to my mind is: "Because she doesn't deserve it. I know she is a good person. I don't want to wrong her"._

"I… I don't know." I finally say. "Maybe because it was strange for her to do it. Maybe she has a reason, what if she had a bad day and wasn't in the mood to talk?"

"She is never in the mood to talk." He rolls his eyes. When I don't say anything he sighs as stand up. "Come. Let's go ask her."

"W-what?"

"If you don't believe me, then you should ask her why she ignored you. That way you'll see by yourself how evil and ice-hearted she is."

"I-I don't know if that's a good idea." I say nervously.

"Are you afraid of what she'll say?"

"Kind of." I whisper not wanting to be listened.

"She's already hurt you. What else can happen?"

_That she confirms what you said; that she was never my friend, that she was just pretending._

"Okay. Lets go." I say reluctantly and stand up to follow him back to my English classroom.

* * *

When we arrived, there were still fifteen minutes left for the class to end, so we stayed there waiting, Hans standing as the image of confidence and perfection, texting someone in his cellphone, and me bouncing nervously, wiping my sweating palms and trying to get rid of the thousands of butterflies that in that moment resided on my stomach (And not precisely the good kind of butterflies).

Finally after what for me felt like an eternity, my classmates start heading out, and as soon I see certain platinum blonde, my heart starts racing fast, just not as in the excited way it usually did whenever I saw Elsa, but more like in an anxious way. She sees me too and quickly tries to run in the opposite direction, but Hans grabs her wrist preventing her from doing so.

"My friend here wants to speak with you." He says motioning at me. Then he releases her hand.

"I don't want to speak to her." She says in a cold tone avoiding our gazes, wearing that emotionless mask that I hate so much. But is it really a mask? Maybe her friendly side is the real mask after all.

"Well, she doesn't wish to waste her time talking with you either, but she does want to know why you ignored her earlier after _acting_ as her friend during a month."

"Was it all an act, Elsa?" I ask with a sad tone.

A few seconds pass and I'm thinking she's not going to answer. Finally she raises her head to look at me directly in the eyes and, with the coldest attitude I've ever seen in anyone, says:

"Yes. It was all a plan I made to make you feel bad."

I'm shocked, and for a moment I can't find my voice. Is it all true? Was she trying to make me suffer just because I'm friend with the ones who used to bully her? After everything I've done for her? All this time I thought she was sincere, I thought we could be friends, I thought she needed help since she looked so lonely, and I tried to give it to her… But for her it was only an ill-natured plan.

She achieved her objective. I'm suffering. Is the rejection of someone you considered a friend supposed to hurt this much?

I'm about to cry again, but Hans notices it and whispers to my ear:

"Are you going to let her see you cry? Don't give her the satisfaction. Make her pay for what she did, aren't you angry with her? You don't want to look pathetic in front of all these people, do you? You better show them that no one can mess up like this with you. Teach that Ice Queen a lesson."

I look around me and see a crowd of curious students watching all the scene, including my friends. Hans is right; I shouldn't let them see me broken because of Elsa, who is in the lowest hierarchy at the school, in which place would that let me? Besides, that's exactly what that heartless girl wanted; see me sad. No, I can't show my grief, but I've never been one to keep my feelings at bay, so I just transform it in something different, that was there before anyways: anger.

"Why? What did I ever do to you?!" I snap at her, my voice sounding so angry that not even I can fully recognize it as mine.

"I don't have to answer that question. I'm not wasting my time with you. "

She turns around and starts walking in an almost regal way, just as she did during English class. It's seems as if for her the rest of the world (and me specifically) are just annoying little bugs who doesn't deserve to even breathe the same air as her, let alone talk to her. Now I'm furious, almost out of my mind. Without thinking I grab her hand roughly to prevent her from running away.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" I yell. Then I remember what Hans and almost everyone else in the school says about her. She is a nobody, and I am popular because I'm friend of the most amazing people on this High. She should show me some respect. "Who gave you the right to speak like that to me?! You are just a looser, a disgusting crap at my shoe sole, you are nothing!" I was expecting her to turn around and start yelling at me as well, at least that way she'd show some kind of emotion, instead of just being so passive aggressive. She doesn't do anything though, and that makes me get even angrier. "Answer my fucking question! What did I do to you?!"

"Do you really want to know?" She asks turning around. I nod shortly. Of course I want an explanation. She sighs, closes her eyes and starts speaking with an emotionless voice.

"The first day of classes I was reading my book when you came to me and started disturbing my concentration with your clumsiness, your annoying voice, and your silly conversation." She opens her eyes, but keeps her gaze at the floor "Then you started playing with my hair when I didn't want you to. And finally, you kept trying to distract me during English class. I simply can't bear your presence, it's so irritating. I hated you since I first saw you."

SMACK.

All heads in the hall turn toward me as they hear the sound of my palm hitting Elsa's cheek.

She at first stands still, with her head turned at the direction my slap guided it. Then she slowly turns to see me and touches her red and sore cheek. I dare to look at her eyes, expecting to find either coldness or anger, just to meet the gaze one would expect to find in a wounded puppy. She looks so hurt that it breaks my heart, but only for a moment, before remembering that this is all probably another act to make me feel sorry for her and let her get away with this. No. It's not going to work again.

"I should have never trusted you, and I swear I'll take revenge on what you did to me. You will always regret the day you dared to mess up with me." I say, but I'm not so angry anymore, so I have to fake it.

She closes her eyes for a moment takes a deep breath, and when she opens them again, they are cold once more, just maybe not as cold as they were before.

"Fine. It doesn't matter after all. I'll only have another brainless girl to add to the list of people who hate me." Her voice trembles slightly at the last part, and she diverts her gaze towards the floor. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost.

_I don't hate you. I'm just mad because of what you did to me. If only you said you are sorry I would forgive you._

_Where did that voice come from?! I wouldn't forgive her even if she got on her knees._

"Now, if you excuse me." She says pulling away from my hand and, still looking a little sad, and maybe angry too, but not enough to know for sure if she is just acting or not. "I have more important places to be in right now."

She turns and walks away. This time I don't try to stop her.

* * *

I'm walking to the school's entrance with Hans and my other friends. They are laughing remembering what just happened earlier.

"Seriously Anna that was amazing!" Hans says." To be honest at first I wasn't sure that you'd be able to confront the Ice Queen, but you surprised me. I'm really impressed.

"Now you're really one of us." Snow says.

"It was nothing." I answer. I know I should be glad because of the compliments my friends are giving to me, and I am… but still I feel as if I've done something wrong, which is ridiculous; of course I did what was best! "She deserved it. No one can hurt the great Anna Summers and not pay the consequences." I continue with a little grin.

"What will you do with her now?" Meg asks.

"Isn't it obvious?" I ask chuckling. "I'm not going to speak to her anymore, I won't even come near to her if not to make her pay for what she's done."

"Don't you think that's a little bit drastic?"

"That's her decision." Hans interferes before I can answer. "And a good one in my opinion; she deserves to be respected."

"Yes, don't worry Anna, we'll help you to get your revenge from that ice bitch." Ariel says while Cindy and Aurora nod in agreement."

"Thanks girls." I say. "I really appreciate it."

"Now, if you excuse us." Hans puts his arm on my shoulders. "I'd like to talk with Anna alone."

"Of course." Snow agrees. "We'll see you tomorrow. Bye." All the girls wave us goodbye and walk away. Once they are out of our sight Hans turns to me and asks:

"Tell me Anna, have you ever kiss someone?"

"Y-You mean on the lips?" I ask and he nods, which makes me blush and get nervous. Why did he make that question?. "Oh… uhm… No. You know I've been locked inside my house all my life so…"

"Well, then I'll give you the honor of have your first kiss with me. Let's say it's a reward for doing what was correct today."

Before I have time to react he grabs me by the waist and pulls me towards him, crashing our lips together. I know I should've been enraptured for having my first kiss with the most handsome and popular guy in this school… but honestly I only have one feeling, one that I would've never expected to feel while being kissed by Hans: revulsion. The sensation of his rough lips covering mine, his tongue penetrating into my mouth as an unwelcomed invader, his saliva intermixing with mine… all of this almost make me want to puke. This is definitely _not_ how I imagined my first kiss. I don't even feel pleasure, which only worsens the fact that this situation grosses me out.

Finally after what seems like several minutes, he releases me, but keeps holding my waist.

"Did you like it?" He asks with a flirtatious smirk.

For a moment I consider telling the truth, but I bite my tongue just in time; I can't tell him how disgusted I was for the kiss, it would completely ruin my chances of being his girlfriend.

_But do I still want to be his girlfriend after this?_

_What am I thinking? Of course I want to be his girlfriend! He is handsome, and charming, and smart! Who wouldn't?_

So I decide to lie. I suppose it would've been different in a more romantic atmosphere and with me being prepared. And if he was my boyfriend. Yes, next time (if there's a next time) I'm sure it will be pleasurable.

"Yeah. Sure, of course." I smile nervously; I've never been good at lying. He frowns noticing something strange in my voice, but I suppose he thinks I'm just nervous because of what just happened, since he lets it pass.

"I unfortunately can't say the same" He says. For an unknown reason my heart clenches at this. I feel a little offended. "But since it was your first kiss, I suppose it wasn't _that_ bad. With a little bit of luck you'll learn quickly and improve. "

_What did he mean? Will there be more kisses? Am I his girlfriend now?_

Before I can question him about it he says good bye and walks away, leaving me standing there, confused and with a distaste on my mouth. I clean my lips with the back of my hand to get rid of the saliva that remained on them after the kiss and start walking to go to my house.


	5. Friends with benefits

**Chapter 5: Friends with benefits.**

"Anna, are you alright?" I hear Rapunzel asking from the seat to my right, while we wait for Mr. Tatch to arrive.

"Yeah, of course, Punz. Why do you ask?" I answer, procuring to sound as normal as possible.

"Well… you've been acting strange lately." I shoot her a quizzical look, urging her to explain herself. "You're less talkative, and more irritable." She says carefully.

"I'm not…!"

"And you don't interact with anyone except Hans and his friends." She interrupts me before I can protest further.

"I'm talking to you."

"But this is the longest conversation we've had in weeks! We barely see each other anymore." Then she pauses, only to add with a sad tone of voice: "I thought we were friends."

"What?" I ask puzzled. Why would she say that? "Of course we are, Punz. It's just…" I bite my lip before my useless mouth reveals something I don't want Rapunzel to know. "I've been busy, okay?"

"Doing what, exactly?"

"Things… just things." I answer vaguely, even if I know she won't be satisfied with my answer.

"With Hans?"

I feel a pang of pain in my chest. Yes, I've been busy with Hans, but no one must know about it; it's not something I want everyone else to be aware of; even if Snow and the others say I should be proud of it, the truth is I'm ashamed of myself and I know that what I'm doing isn't right.

"… No?" I answer, but it comes out more like a question. She looks at me in a way I know she is not believing me, but decides to let it slip for now.

"With Snow, then? Bullying Elsa?" She says in an accusing tone.

Elsa… It's been two months since I last talked to her… In a friendly way at least. The firsts few times I bullied her I felt a little guilty, but now I don't feel anything for her anymore, except despise and hate. At least, that's what I tell myself. But, no, bullying Elsa is just a hobby of mine, not something I regularly do, however, I prefer Rapunzel to think that I've been busy doing that, than to know the truth.

"Yes." I simply answer, shrugging.

"Why? What did she do to you?

"

"I think I explained that to you about a month ago." I roll my eyes in exasperation.

"But what you've done to her is far worst." She protests. "Do you need me to remind you? You daubed plasticine in her hair…"

"She didn't even noticed that!" I scream defensively, but she just ignores me.

"… You slapped her and yelled awful things to her…"

"She admitted she'd been just pretending to be my friend."

"… You painted hurtful words on her locker." Well, I don't have an excuse for that. "You threw food at her plenty of times, you stole her homework the day the teacher was going to collect it, you made her trip plenty of times, and you've mocked of her in her face and spread nasty rumors of her at her back. Did I miss something?"

_I stole her book and ripped off some pages, and I've recorded some videos of my friends harassing her._

"Look, Rapunzel, it doesn't matter. She doesn't care, okay? She is the _Ice Queen_. She doesn't feel anything!"

"What do you know? She is a human being! She has to feel _something_!"

"No, she doesn't!"

I notice I've stood up and I'm yelling quite loudly. This subject is quite delicate for me, since a few times (when I still didn't want to believe Elsa didn't feel anything for me) I tried to approach her, only to be hurt even more, and it all convinced me that her heart is totally frozen. She can't feel but anger and hate.

* * *

It had just been a couple of days since Elsa had told me she wasn't really my friend and I was already missing her. I know, it was stupid, because the girl didn't ever have even the smallest interest in me, but I just couldn't help it; when I was with her I felt something real, something powerful. She could be very nice some times, and I truly liked her when she wasn't being an ice bitch. So, maybe we didn't start very well, but we surely could start over, right? I was sure she was a nice person in the inside. She was a friend I was not letting go that easily.

That's why that day I bought her a chocolate as an apology for what I had done a few day ago, and went to speak to her before English class started.

"Uhm… ugh… Hi." I said shyly. She didn't tear her eyes from her notebook, but I knew she was listening to me. "I… I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for slapping you, and saying those things to you the last Thursday." She didn't say anything but I continued anyways, thinking she must have been really pissed off with me. "I also forgive you for what you did, and I was thinking we should leave the past in the past and start over... What do you think?" I asked nervously, afraid of rejection.

"No." She simply said, without even looking at me.

"N-no?" I stuttered. "B-but why? Look, if it is because of what I did, and a simple 'sorry' is not enough for you, then accept this as a peace-offering." I said handing her the chocolate. She finally looked up, but only to return a second latter to her notes.

"I don't like chocolate." She said.

I tried to keep calm and not let her words get to me, but I still felt hurt by what she said, and even a knot appeared on my throat. However, I wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"W-well, then tell me, what do I have to do for you to forgive me?

"There's nothing you can do. I won't ever forgive you, so don't come near to me ever again."

"Please, Elsa, I know you care about me. I know you want to be my friend just as much as I want to be yours." I pleaded, not caring that my dignity literally fell to the ground because of this. "You may have said otherwise a few days ago, but I know that, while executing your evil plan, you actually started seeing me as more than a means to obtain your revenge against Hans and his friends."

I saw her jaw tense up and her pen drop. Then she looked up at me with such fury that I even backed up one step.

"You don't know anything about me, so don't go around assuming things. The Elsa you knew doesn't exist, it was just a show to gain you trust. Now, stop bothering me and go away!" She said the last part standing up and pointing towards the door.

"B-but…" I started.

"GO AWAY!"

In that moment I realized I had been in denial all that time. She had made it clear she didn't want me around, she had explicitly said she couldn't bear my presence, and I had accepted that fact during that dreadful day, but a part of me was still holding onto the little hope that was still there, even if everything was telling me it was just mindless dreaming. I had to kill that part of me that still wanted to be with Elsa if I wanted to be happy, to be perfect, to really be part of Hans' circle. And so, I did the first thing that came to my mind and pushed Elsa, making her fall backwards. That's how my unending torture towards her started.

I shake my head, trying to get rid of those painful memories and return back to present.

* * *

"I don't think Mr. Tatch is going to come today. I'll just go now. See you, Punz." I say with a tone that doesn't admit retort and head out of the classroom, without sparing my friend a second glance.

I run to the school yard, praying not to meet Mr. Tatch in my way, to avoid him asking me why I'm not in his class, but instead I find someone walking in the opposite direction with a slow pace and her head down. Someone with platinum blonde hair. I smile; this is perfect, it'll help me release frustration. I continue walking and, when I'm passing next to her, I purposely hit her shoulder with mine, making her drop the books she was carrying.

"Watch where you're going." I say, stopping to see her kneeling down to pick up her belongings. Seeing she doesn't say anything or even show any sign of hearing me, I get angrier. "What? You won't even say sorry?" She stands up and starts walking, as if I didn't even exist. "Hey! Now I don't deserve even a small apology?" I say furiously running to stand in front of her and keep her from getting away. She continues looking at the ground, as I were not even there. She really despises me, doesn't she? Well, I'll show her no one can ignore me.

With a quick movement I grab her headband and hold it out of her reach saying:

"Now, say you're sorry and I'll return it to you.—She doesn't say anything, she just tries to reach it, even jumping a little, and, since she's slightly taller than me, she almost gets it back, but I quickly put it behind my back. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and finally looks at my face, just to say then with a cold voice:

"Give me my headband."

"No." I say curtly.

"P-please." She says, her cold face disappearing just a second, showing apparent vulnerability. "I… I'm sorry for hitting you." Yikes! She is a good actress.

"Well, now that you said it so nicely…" I feign to be thinking, putting a finger on my chin. "Mmmmh… No, I won't."

"But I already said I'm sorry." She protests slightly upset.

"Yes, but it's not enough." I smirk. Now I'll practice something I learned from Snow. "What about you get on your knees and…?"

"Give that to me now, Anna!" She says with a loud voice and extending her arm, this time looking really angry. Now, this is my favorite part.

"Or what?" I ask with a bitchy attitude, wanting to piss her off even more.

"Or… or I'll tell everyone you're sleeping with Hans."

My smile disappears in that instant and the color leaves my face. What the actual fuck?! I wasn't expecting that. Of course it is a lie, though a really believable one, and it's not too far away from the truth either. It hurts me deeply. _Way_ too deeply. For a moment I'm not even able to speak.

"I… I'm sorry." She says, deviating her gaze to the floor. "It's just that I saw you kissing him and… Sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She closes her eyes sighing and, if I didn't know better, I could have thought she really _is_ sorry. But she can't fool me.

"Don't be." I say, sounding more confident than I really am, crossing my arms over my chest. "There's no need for that." She places her gaze on me again, looking confused. "I'm not actually sleeping with Hans _yet_, but it honors me that you thought that. Hans is a fine gentlemen and, as you must know, quite handsome, smart and charming. So, nope, it wouldn't bother me if you told everyone in this High that I've been in his bed. Actually I'm proud to say that someone like him placed his interest in someone like me, even if it is in a sexual way." As I say those words it's as if I was actually trying to convince myself, but my insecurities don't show on the exterior.

"Don't you feel… y'know… degraded?" She asks almost carefully.

_Yes, of course. Do you even have to ask it?_

"Of course not, I mean it's Hans! What about you? Don't _you_ feel degraded? I mean no one ever have expressed their desire to sleep with you, and honestly who would? I mean, you're… _you_." I eye her with despise and I see a small glint of pain in those beautif-… ehem those _cold_ eyes of her. Yep, just cold. No feelings. "You should be thankful if an ugly and dirty tramp ever dared to rape you."

I see her close her eyes and her face turn bright red, the veins in her forehead even standing out a little, and I think she is going to burst in rage. Literally. I'm even thinking I should apologize before she gets so mad she hurts me badly (maybe even physically) but what happens next catches me out of guard. She opens her eyes, which now are red and watery, and runs away really fast, letting me wondering if I really just saw her at the edge of tears or if it was only my imagination.

_M-maybe I shouldn't have said that. I think this time I really crossed the line, I may have hurt her for real._

I'm about to feel sorry for her, and maybe even guilt, when I remember what she's done to me and I shake my head, getting rid of those stupid thoughts of sympathy. She's the Ice Queen after all; she can't feel.

* * *

When I arrive at the school yard I don't feel joy or relief, of even calm; I feel dread. Hans is there, sitting in a bench with a dazzling smile, waiting for me. I force a little grin and walk towards him slowly.

"Hello, whore." He says grabbing my waist as soon as I'm at his reach and pulling me towards him, so I end up sitting in his lap.

"H-hi." I say, blushing at the proximity, but feeling uncomfortable at the same time. Maybe because I still like Hans, I just don't like what he's been doing to me.

"Shouldn't you be in History class?"

"Who cares?" I say, feigning that it's not a big deal. "A-after all, all that crap happened centuries ago, right?" I know I'm repeating the exact words he said to me to make me skip History for the first time, but it pleases him, so it doesn't matter. As predicted he smiles widely and pulls me even closer to him.

"Yeah, that's true." He says with a look I know very well, and I gulp in anticipation. "And you have better things to do." He whispers to my ear, making me shiver.

He places an open-mouthed kiss at my neck and continues down, touching every inch of my exposed skin with his wet tongue, while his hands massage my body, touching every place he pleases, and making encountered emotions appear in my heart. I feel a bit of pleasure, yes; it's nice to be touched and kissed in this way, but I also feel repulsion because his saliva grosses me out and I feel anger because, as he said in his greeting, I'm just his whore; he can do whatever he pleases with me and I'm not even his girlfriend. Why did I permit this? You may be wondering… Well, I was very lonely and vulnerable after Elsa stopped speaking to me, and being with Hans somehow filled the hole I felt in my chest for a while, plus I was too innocent in that time (yes, I'm much less innocent just a couple of months latter) and I wasn't entirely conscious about the meaning of this back then, plus he was much more subtle (he didn't call me whore nor touched my private parts). Why I permit it now that I've learn how wrong it is? Well, that's another story. I'm afraid of losing his and his friends' friendship if I told him I just want us to be normal friends. I also think that I may miss the pleasure if I do it, and I think this way I may have an opportunity of being his girlfriend in the future. It all reduces to on simple truth: I don't want to be alone, I have a huge phobia to be alone, and I won't be the one putting myself in that situation.

In that moment he stops practically devouring me and kneading my breasts as if they were some kind of dough, and places me at the bench, at his side. I have to use all my will not to wipe off his saliva from my neck.

"So, did you like it?" He asks, already knowing the answer. I just nod while blushing, too embarrassed to say it out loud, and afraid to let him know by accident how much it grosses me out. "Did you get wet?"

_Damn, he always has to ask it, doesn't he?_

"A… a little." I answer softly, suddenly interested on my shoes.

"Huh? You usually say "a lot." He states surprised. "Is there something wrong, my friend?"

_Friend. That fucking hurts._

"I… I was just thinking."

"You what? "He says chuckling, but I just shoot him a glare. "Okay, not funny." He says, but his smile tells otherwise. "What were you thinking?"

"I…" I close my eyes, take a deep breath and ask the question that's been eating me alive since the first time it appeared on my mind. "Why am I not your girlfriend?"

"I'm sorry, I think I don't understand."

"Yes." I say, more firmly this time that I've gathered more courage. "Why am I not if we do all what a real couple would do?"

"Oh." He says and then scratches one of his sideburns. "Well, this is awkward… you are awkward, actually. I thought I had already explained it to you."

"No, you didn't. You only said it was better if we remained as friends."

"Well, if you really want to know, it's because…" He takes a deep breath and turns to me with a condescending face. "I simply don't _like_ you."

"What?!" Okay, I wasn't expecting that. Of all the things he could have answer, that's the one I dreaded the most. "B-but if you don't _like_ me, why can't we remain as just friends?"

"What's the fun on that?" He asks smirking. "Don't you like it when I touch you, when I kiss you? You are a naughty girl, Anna. You couldn't possibly live without this."

_Really? Am I a naughty girl? Well, of course I am. I wouldn't be Hans' personal whore and I wouldn't take pleasure from this if I wasn't. I'm despicable._

"I… I suppose you're right." I say, lowering my head in shame. "B-but I still think we shouldn't be doing this. It's _wrong_."

"How is it wrong?" He asks so surprised that it makes me forget of my arguments against him.

"Well, it…" I try to say something at least a little bit convincing. "E-Elsa says it's degrading."

I see him glare at me in such a way I even flinch. I should know better now to not ever mention Elsa in front of him if I'm not going to say something nasty about the girl. He grabs a handful of my hair and pulls it, which inflicts me a little of pain and makes me raise my head to face him.

"What does that bitch know about this?" He asks, and then lowers his head to give me a hard bite on the neck and I flinch at the unexpected sensation. "She is just jealous. No one could possibly want her, not even as a friend with benefits." He whispers to my ear and then proceeds to lick my jaw, making a little pleasure surge in my core despite my opposition and disgust towards it. "Do you know the meaning of wrong and right, Anna?" He asks.

"Y-yes…"

"I don't think so." He cuts me off. "Wrong is making someone suffer on purpose. And we are not hurting anyone by doing this."

_Well, he is right. There's nothing wrong with being his friend with benefits, then. But, according to his definition, there's another thing I've been doing lately that is terribly wrong._

"Y-you're right." I breathe out. "I think I don't have problems being your friend with benefits, then." I feel him smiling against my neck. "But isn't bullying Elsa wrong?"

He separates from me and glares at me. Again.

_Fuck, I keep mentioning her like that, what's wrong with me? Why is she always in my head?_

"No, it isn't." He says firmly, leaving it clear that we'll admit no retort. "She is the Ice Queen. She doesn't have feelings. She _can't_ suffer. Got it?"

"B-but…" My mouth starts speaking against my will, but is silenced by Hans' rough lips on mine and his tongue getting into my mouth unexpectedly, making me want to throw up. I was already hating the kiss, when I felt his teeth biting into my lower lip and tasted blood.

_Holy shit! That hurts!_

He separates from me (thanks god) and wipes the blood from my lips with his thumb, eying at it with satisfaction. Then he cleans it in my shirt, not caring if it leaves an obvious spot.

"Don't show compassion to the enemy, Anna, or else you become the enemy." The crazy look he has in his eyes makes me nod like my life depended on it and he smiles.

I feel helpless, something I hadn't felt before. I always considered myself a strong person, someone who could stand for herself, but I was wrong. I have no defenses against Hans. I'm in his hands. Suddenly, all the emotions I had been repressing during the past two months come crashing to me, adding to the already installed pain of the confession of Hans not liking me; the sadness of losing Elsa, the agony of her multiple rejections, the grief I inflicted on myself every time I saw her mask disappearing, leaving a look of hurt in her eyes that I promptly tried to ignore in order to avoid feeling guilty, the disappointment when Hans told me just the day after he first kissed me that I wasn't his girlfriend, the pain I felt every time he despised me by calling me a whore, the disgust I felt towards myself for not having the guts to protest against it… all of it, all those emotions I tried to ignore for so long suddenly come back to me, and I find myself crying.

"Shhh, Anna. Calm down, it isn't that bad." He says in a soothing tone while caressing my hair and enveloping me with his strong arms.

"I… I'm sorry." I say with a weak voice, though I don't know what I'm apologizing for or even _who_ I'm apologizing to, if Hans, Elsa or myself.

"It's okay, I forgive you. Just don't mention Elsa again if you're not going to say bad things about her." I nod, but continue sobbing in his shoulder, trying to calm down again, to remove all those dreading feelings inside of me that make me unhappy. "Hey." He says suddenly "I know something that will make you feel better."

I look at him with hope, thinking that he may actually be trying to make me feel better, that he cares about me. Maybe he brought some chocolate?

He takes my right hand and places it on his crotch, so I can feel his erection.

I should've known it wasn't chocolate.


	6. The truce

**I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.**

* * *

**Chapter 6. The truce.**

I'm in trouble like I've never been before. Why? You may be wondering. Well, it's because my parents found out about something I didn't want them to find out. No, I'm not talking about my strange relationship with Hans, nor about me constantly bulling Elsa, I'm talking about my grades being outright unsatisfying, to say the least. Due to my continue absence at most classes, I've failed almost every single one of them, and it's not even half of the school year yet! Well, I'm ruined, but what was I supposed to do when my friends asked me to stay with them? That I couldn't because I had to attend to class? They would've taken it the wrong way, and I could've lost them.

But of course I couldn't tell that to my parents. This is how the conversation went.

That day I arrived from school as always and placed my backpack on the floor of my room. Since my parents hadn't arrived yet because it was too early for them, I decided to listen to some music, so I got out stuff from my backpack and threw it randomly across my room before finding my ipod and headphones and lying on my bed just to relax. I didn't even noticed the failed exam that landed on top of my desk.

I woke up from the sleep I had unconsciously drifted on when my mother suddenly pulled the headphones out of my ears saying with a strict tone that gave me goosebumps:

"Anna Summers! What's the meaning of this?" She was holding a piece of paper in front of my nose. My eyes took some time to fully recognize what it was, but when they did, my heart began racing like crazy. However, in my panicked state, I just was able to form one question in my mind, and, as usual, I spoke without thinking of the consequences.

"Wha-… what are you doing here this early?" I asked numbly. Normally my parents would be at their work until the sun had hidden on the horizon; they almost never got out when I had just arrived from school.

"We were allowed to leave early due to lab disinfection." My father, who was next to my bed, answered. As he did, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "Apparently some bacteria was accidentally released and it was too dangerous for us to remain at the building until they were sure it had been totally exterminated, so here we are." Well, that explained it, after all my parents work at a very important lab of biomedical research (they are molecular biologists, if you're wondering) and, even if there are extreme security measures, accidents happen. "Now answer you mother's question." His tone changed into a stricter one. "Why did you failed that exam?"

_Well fuck, I had almost forgotten about it! I'm screwed._

I bit my lip worried, wondering what to say to save my life, but as seconds passed, my parents' gazes became harsher and I really started to worry. I decided to just answer without thinking too much on it.

"I'm sorry!" I said. "I-It's just… school is more complicated than I had imagined, but I promise I _will_ improve!" I expected them to take compassion on me, and it somewhat worked with my father, but my mother's stared became almost furious, though worried at the same time.

"Complicated, you say?" She asked with a scolding tone which made me retreat into my bed. "You're aware that your house-taught education was of higher level and, therefore, _more_ complicated, and you did never had a problem with it. Look at this problems!" She said pointing to the exam. It was a math exam with a big, red and ugly 40 painted on it. "They are so easy that you should be able to solve them without a second thought! The main errors you committed were mistaking signs and doing bad simple operations like adding and subtracting. What's wrong Anna?"

In that moment her gaze softened a little and I realized she wasn't really mad, but concerned about me. If I played well my cards, hopefully there would be no punishment. However, I'm not a good liar, so I had to say something that was partially true.

"I-I… school… it's difficult because other things, not only the academic stuff, but the relationships with my classmates and teachers and… friends, mostly friends. It's… _too_ complicated." I sighed and hung my head down, looking defeated, though I was confused. I didn't actually know if I was just acting or there was something more on it. After all, I had been wanting to speak with my parents for a while now, but they were always too busy, and I just ended up not telling them when I had the opportunity because of my pride. But here I was, spitting it all unconsciously and without being able to stop it. "All this issues about human interaction just keep… distracting me."

_Hans and his touchy hands keeps distracting me. Not to mention Elsa and the ambiguous feelings I have towards her._

"It's okay." My father assured me, touching my shoulder. "You've been isolated your whole life. No one expects you to fit into the social world without a little struggle." I looked him and he smiled at me, and I obviously returned a little grin. "After all, it's only one exam. I'm sure you can still save the subject."

"Uh… Actually about that…" Again, my mouth spoke without my permission and I regretted it when I saw the frowns at their faces.

"It's not the only exam, is it?" My mom asked. I bit my lip and it alone answered her question. "And it's not the only subject." I nodded.

She grabbed my backpack and searched within my notebooks and papers retrieving all that had a grade. The ones which were from the beginning of the school year were pretty good, but the newest ones were definitely terrible. I wanted to stop her, of course, but it would've only made it worse. As my father saw them too, his gentle smile became an angry grimace that made me want to jump off the bed and run away as fast as I could. When they had finally saw all of my awful exams, they turned to see each other and father said:

"This is far worse than I thought. Maybe she wasn't prepared to face the world yet. I told you she's too oblivious, innocent and trustful to be out there!" _Hello, I'm right here, you know? I can hear you._ "We should've never let her attend to school."

"Maybe you're right." My mother said. "This grades reflect that something's happening, and I've also noticed her unusual behavior; being distracted, more distant from us, quiet, using provocative clothes and going out with her friends way too much (friends that she doesn't want us to meet, may I add), not to mention that she speaks for hours during night with someone named Hans." _Fuck, I thought they were asleep!_ "And not about usual themes, but about sexual ones." _Great, and she just _had_ to listen yesterday's conversation. Wonderful._ "I think this must be because of the influence her friends have on her."

"Great. Now that we're in agreement…" My father spoke. "Let's go to the school and tell the principal she won't be attending anymore." He turned to me. "Anna, you'll return to be home-schooled."

"What?!" I screamed, shocked. "No, no please no. Please! I'll do anything. Please! Don't lock me here again." I started crying, tears flowing out of my eyes as a river. I really didn't want to return to my previous life. "Please. I couldn't possibly live like that anymore!" My mother hugged me and I reciprocated despite all the anger and desperation my parents were inflicting on me. I really needed some comfort.

"Shhh, Anna. Calm down." My mother said soothingly, obviously noticing my sad sobs and wanting to do something to make me feel better. It didn't work.

"How could I calm down?!" I snapped, getting out of her embrace. "For _ten years_ I was caged here with nothing to do, no one to talk to…"

"What are you talking about? There are servants in this house and your teachers…" My father interrupted my outburst. Fatal mistake.

"They are old people, for god's sake!" I yelled louder and angrier. "It's not the same. I have to interact with someone of my age, if not I would become crazy, be antisocial and never, _ever_ have a boyfriend!"

"I don't have a problem with that." he said and I growled in frustration.

"And do you know what's worst of that?" I prepared myself for the final strike. If this didn't make them understand and take compassion of me, nothing would. "I couldn't even talk with my own parents because they were 'too busy for me'." I mocked their voices and expressions. Father was about to say something again, but I didn't give him the chance. "Have you ever wondered if my imprisonment and lack of human interaction through my _whole_ life may be the cause of my poorly developed abilities to tell the difference between someone who wants to be my friend and someone who's trying to hurt me? Or you were too worried with your stupid bacteria and viruses to even think for a second about your stupid daughter who, unfortunately, wasn't born with Einstein's intelligence like you?!" I cried harder this time, almost uncontrollably, as I let out of my chest all the resentment I had towards my parents. It hurt even more to say it out loud than to admit it to myself inside my head.

"I won't let you speak like that to us!" My father yelled angrily. "You don't know what's best for you…"

"Oh, so I suppose _you_ do!" I cut him, unable to put a hold in myself. "Why don't you go and lock me in a chamber with cushion-walls where nothing can hurt me this time? I'm sure I would be an exemplary citizen after ten years inside it, and that I would be perfectly able to tell the difference between correct and incorrect!"

"Listen lady… !" He started.

"Enough!" Mom yelled. None of us had noticed her before, but she had tears at her eyes and seemed very pissed. "Go to your room!" _What? I'm in my room_.

"I'm in…" I started.

"Not you." She said and turned to look at my father. "_You._ You're only making it worse. Let me talk to her."

"B-but…" He tried to oppose.

"Do it. NOW." That tone gave me goosebumps and I could've felt sorry about my dad if I hadn't been utterly mad at him. He rose from the bed and quickly got out without saying another word, clearly surprised and scared. My mother has always been a calm person Strict, yes, but very calm, so this was strange. Once he was gone, my mother turned to me and I gulped in fear. "Now, Anna, it's time to have a serious talk with you."

"M-mom, look…" I wanted to be a little more reasonable so not to make her angrier but still convince her about letting me attend to school, but she rose a hand to indicate silence, and I obeyed.

"I want you to know that I'm not happy about your grades in the slightest." I retreated into my bed more. "And I'm not happy about your new attitude or the great influence you let your friends have in you. Nor am I happy to know you are having _intimate_ conversations with a guy who you haven't even mentioned to us before, and I preferred if you didn't talk to him anymore."

"But…" I tried to protest. Who did she think she was trying to decide who could be my friends and who couldn't?

"_However_…" She said in a very intimidating tone that instantly shut my mouth. "You will continue going to the school." My eyes went wide. I wasn't expecting that, I thought she agreed with my father about this, but maybe I was wrong. "You're right, it's not healthy for you to be locked in here, it never was, but this time I'll stand up for you and try to erase your father's irrational overprotection for you." I really wanted to scream in happiness, dance around and hold my mom tightly, but just as I was opening my mouth to thank her, she spoke again. "_But _there's one condition." I frowned at this. "You are going to improve your grades, and by this I mean _really_ improve, and you will stop talking to Hans."

"Hey that's two conditions!" I retorted, exasperated at her for wanting to keep me away from Hans when she didn't even know him.

"Fine, then two conditions." She just answered. "After all, I can't _really_ be sure that you're not talking to Hans anymore. I'll just have to trust you to make the right decision."

_Trust me? Well, that's new. However, I don't think we both have the same idea of "the right decision"._

"Whatever." I answer making an annoyed gesture which she ignores. "I'll do my best, I'll have better grades from now on."

"Good." She said standing up. "And if you have a problem or something, please don't hesitate to tell us. We'll be here for you, I promise."

_Ha! As if I could ever believe that!_

"Fine. Thanks mom." I said despite my thoughts. "I should do my homework now, though."

"Okay." She answered and got out of my room.

* * *

So here I am, overly stressed because if I don't pass with perfect grades the next few exams _and_ essays, and do _all _my homework, I'm going to return to the prison I call home and stay inside there, probably for the rest of my lonely life.

"Anna?" I hear Meg say, while she walks at my side, in an accusing tone.

"Uhm…" What did she said? "Sorry, what?"

"You know, it's not nice not to listen to someone who is talking to you. "She crosses her arms and pout. I hate her when she does that, she looks just so cute! However, I'm not falling in her trap this time."

"Well, you don't ever listen to me when I tell you not to be so touchy."

"Mmmmh… good point." She says with a little grin. "But I just can't resist your illegal cuteness and your beauty!" She elbows me teasingly.

"I'm not cute, and I'm not beautiful!" I say sadly and frustrated. "I'm not perfect like you. All of you." She frowns at my words.

"Says who?" She asks angrily. "Hans?"

"Yes, Hans." I sigh.

"Don't listen to him. You are more perfect than any girlfriend he could ever deserve. You shouldn't be his friend with benefits." She touches my arm comfortingly, which, as usual, makes my skin slightly tingle at the contact pleasurably, but this also happens with most of the girls sometimes, so I've never paid it any mind, even if with Meg it's more recurrent.

"I know." I say. Suddenly I feel the urge to tell someone about my feelings, and who better than Meg, my crazy but nice and trustworthy best friend? I'm just tired to keep it all inside; I was never one to keep secrets for too long. "At first it was… funny, y'know? And exciting. Like a game, but I never really liked it completely, so now I just… I don't know… I still like Hans, but if I can't be his girlfriend I preferred it if we stayed as just friends."

"Do you still want to be his girlfriend after everything he's done to you?" She asks frowning.

"Of course!" Is my immediate response, but they I bit my lip and look away. I want to be honest for once, not only with Meg, but also with myself. "Well… maybe not. I know he couldn't possibly love me." I chuckle. "When I met him, I thought he was my true love, but I was just too innocent. True love doesn't exist. There's only sex."

"You know? I used to think like you do, but love does exist Anna." Meg says with conviction. "Maybe Hans can't love you, but that doesn't mean others couldn't!"

"Really?" I ask angrily. "Maybe someone could've loved me before. But look at me now! I've done disgusting things. I'm not worthy of anyone's love." I stare at the floor frowning and feeling bitterness at my own words. They hurt more because they're true; if my parents knew about what I've done not even them could love me anymore.

Suddenly I feel a pair of slim arms holding me and I quickly return the hug. I need someone to comfort me right now, to tell me that I'm wrong.

"Yes, you are." She says placing her chin on my noddle. "You are an amazing person, Anna, you just followed the wrong path for a while, but I'm sure you can still find the right one." I can hear the smile in her voice as she says those last words.

"I'm not sure. I'm kind of a disorientated person." I pout, even if I know she can't see me, but she surely can hear it in my tone of voice. "Sometimes I'm not even sure where every room of my own house is."

"It must be a very large house, then." She chuckles. "But seriously Anna, you just have to be yourself. It's not good to always try to please the others, I'm talking from experience. And you're such a wonderful person."

"You're always giving me compliments." I say giggling.

"It's because I love you." She says as a matter of factly. "Even if you're a pain in the ass sometimes."

"Thanks, Meg." I say grateful, letting go of her, but when she still keeps holding me, I just laugh and push her away slightly on the chest so I can look at her eyes. "If you were a man I would definitely want you as my boyfriend."

"Yeah." Her expression falls for a second before going back to normal. "Come on, feisty pants, we should hurry to English before that crazy teacher arrives and asks for the homework before I'm able to copy yours." She says with a teasing smirk I hate and like so much.

"Hey! You said you'd only copy the sources." I complain.

"That, and a couple of questions I couldn't answer." I frown and she smiles even more.

"And why would I allow that?" I ask, pretending to be mad.

"Because you love me." She says while leaning towards me so much that it almost seems she is going to kiss me. I blush, feel my heart racing like crazy and gulp loudly, not knowing what to do, or even what to think. I know women don't kiss other women, but it's really tempting. Suddenly I feel my backpack being tugged off my shoulder and see Meg running away and laughing at my stunned expression. Damn! She is such a tease!

I run to chase her, pretending that I'm angry but actually having fun.

* * *

I'm in the English classroom and Meg is copying my homework… not all, of course, just a little part of it. Ariel hasn't arrived yet, but that's not a surprise; she's been skipping this and a few other classes to go see her secret boyfriend at some college. I, on the other hand, am staring at Elsa's usual seat as I've been doing the past week because she hasn't attend to school all that time. It's very strange actually, for what I've been told she never, _ever_ misses school, so I'm a little worried. Not because I care about her… or maybe I do, but mainly because she's been very strange lately; she is very thin, as if she hasn't eat anything in weeks, she has big and dark bags under her eyes, her skin is paler than usual, her clothes are always wrinkled and her braid a little messy, her stare is distant and her attitude depressed. She literally just sits there with her head resting on her notebook not doing anything in the whole class! It's as if nothing mattered to her anymore, and it scares me; she's like someone at their deathbed. I wonder if she's sick, and sometimes I think that's the case because of the deteriorated state of her appearance. But at times I also wonder if it's my fault, after all, it started the day I stole her headband… it made me realized that perhaps she actually _has_ feelings, and maybe that's why I stopped bullying her that much; because I don't want anything serious happening to her, and I know I couldn't possibly bear with the guilt if it were my fault. But still, she could be dead for all I know, and the pain that thought brings me is almost unbearable; I can't imagine not being able to ever see her again, and never have the opportunity to say I'm sorry.

The teacher arrives and I prompt Meg to give me back my homework so I can give it to the teacher. She reluctantly does, since she hadn't finished copying yet, and the teacher comes to take them. Just as the class is about to start, the door opens and someone arrives, someone who hadn't come in a long time and that I'm actually very glad to see alive and healthy… well, as healthy as she can be; she seems to be even worse than the last time I saw her.

Elsa walks until she's standing in front of the teacher and hands him a note. He reads it before nodding, telling her something and sending her to her seat. As the class goes on I get distracted as usual, but I try to pay attention, I really do! But how do you expect me to do that when Elsa is back? And she is actually trying to take notes (even if she's not succeeding) and being the more alive I've seen her in the past month and a half. Even if she still seems very depressed, at least she's not defeated, there's _hope_ in her eyes.

"Hey, feisty pants, why have you been staring at the ice queen all this time?" Meg asks with an annoyed voice. "She's not really that beautiful."

For a moment, I'm panicked because I think I've been discovered about actually feeling something else than hate towards the blonde, but I decide to change the subject and (hopefully) make her forget everything about it. So I turn to face her and give her a little smirk.

"You are jealous, aren't you?" I tease her, moving my eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"Oh, shut up." She says slapping my shoulder and turning to the chalkboard, pretending to be paying attention. I sigh in relief, just as I'm think she's dropped the subject, but in that moment she speaks again. "I'm just curious, you're obsessed with the girl after all." She says without turning to me and I don't know what to say for a moment.

"I… I'm not… _obsessed_ with her." I answer.

"No, you're just infatuated." She retorts rolling her eyes.

_Infatuated? But… Elsa's a girl. I can't be infatuated on a girl Meg, come on!_

"Seriously Meg, I am just curious, after all she hadn't attend to school in a few days." I try to say as much natural as possible.

"Yeah… and during all that time you kept staring at her seat." I'm about to protest, but she sees me and keeps going before I can say a word. "And even _before_ that, you couldn't endure more than a day without talking to her, even if it was just you saying nasty things and her trying to ignore you. And don't even make me start with all the things that happened when you two were friends. I _know_ you feel something strong for her; I don't know if its love, hate, or just insane obsession, but you can't fool me." Well, now she sounds somewhat angry. I better convince her that I don't feel anything towards Elsa.

"I don't…"

"Stop trying to lie to me over something so obvious!" She raises her voice, dangerously approaching it to that limit when the teacher hears you and kicks you out.

"Okay, fine." I pout, hopping that, if she sees me, she won't stay mad at me (without a real reason, my I add), but it doesn't works since she keeps staring at the front, frowning.

Several minutes pass, and now I'm actually able to somewhat pay attention (just because now I've memorized every single detail of Elsa), but the class is about to end and I'm thinking the teacher would actually let us get out early because he has already finished today's lesson, but then he speaks:

"Now, before you go, I need to tell you about something you have to do during winter break." Protests and growls can be hear everywhere. "You'll have to prepare a little conference about a subject that'll be assigned to you, and you'll work by pairs, pairs of _two_ people, no more, no less. You'll expose it in front of the class the first two weeks after the break, so you have plenty of time and, therefore, I expect it to be an excellent work, original and creative. Am I clear?" We all nod with defeated and upset expressions. Why don't teachers want us to actually have real vacations with lots of sitting on a couch just watching Christmas movies and enjoying the warm atmosphere while drinking hot chocolate? They really hate us, don't they? "Good, now please write your names on a paper and give them to me so I can give you your topics."

They all start talking with their friends and I, naturally turn to Meg and say:

"Well, so should I write our names or will you do it?"

"I'm not pairing up with you." She says, still sounding upset.

_Oh come on! Don't be so childish. Why are you even upset anyways?_

"B-but we're friends!" I exclaim, not believing her refusal. "Who are you going to work with if it isn't me?"

"I'll just write Ariel's name." She answers shrugging. "I know she comes here only when the comet Haley pass, but she's still an student on this class."

_I can't believe her! TRAITOR!_

"But you'll have to do all the job!" She eyes me with a boring expression, as if not wanting to discuss any further. "And who am _I_ going to pair up with if it's not you?"

"Wow. I'm pleased to see that you only chose me because I'm your only option." She says sarcastically.

_Okay. Maybe that came out wrong._

"There's sure there has to be some antisocial pathetic being over there in the classroom without anyone to work with them." She says. I look around but only see pairs writing their names on paper. Meg sighs. "I'll give you a clue: you couldn't stop seeing her the whole hour."

_Elsa._

Well, working with Elsa may be a good idea, I mean, she's known for being an exceptional student after all, but she probably won't want to prepare this conference with me, much less on vacation; she's probably been looking forward for this opportunity of getting away of me. Besides, it seems to me that she isn't planning on pairing up with anyone since she's just sited there looking miserable while everyone else already has a partner.

"Meg, please, work with me." I say turning, only to see her already finishing writing her and Ariel's names and giving the sheet to the teacher.

"Sorry, feisty. Too late." She answers.

I groan in frustration and turn around to see if there's someone, _anyone_, alone. No, no luck. Only Elsa. I groan again and get up from my chair to then walk slowly towards the blonde. I feel my hand palms sweating so much that I have to wipe them on my jeans, my heart's rhythm also increases its speed, and I feel butterflies again.

_Damn! I thought I had this controlled, or maybe even _eradicated_, after her constant rejections towards me. Guess only one week of absence makes me worry enough to allow this stuff to return_

Once I'm in front of her I open my mouth but think for a minute before actually saying something.

Should I say hello? Should I apologize? Should I ask her about her absence? Should I just ask her to be my partner? But if I just ask her, which approach should I use? Should I tell her 'Hey, we're the only ones who don't have a partner, let's do this together'? Or that would make her upset as it did with Meg? I have no fucking idea! Someone help me!

"Hi." I hear a tired and soft voice coming from the girl in front of me that now is directly looking at my eyes.

"Uh… uhm… hi." I say, not expecting her to speak to me first. Well, may as well make this work. "Uhm… look, I came in peace, okay? I just don't have someone to make this conference with and I think you don't either, so… what do you say?" I give her my best smile, hopping it will convince her. She looks down to her chair and many seconds pass in silence. I'm starting to get nervous thinking she'll say no, when she finally speaks, but the answer is one I wasn't expecting.

"Don't try to fool me like that please. It won't work." She seems quite sad.

_Wait, does she think this is a joke?_

"I'm not joking!" I say putting up my hands. "I swear, please, I need a partner."

She looks at me for a moment with a gaze full of doubts and suspicion. I don't blame her, though; If I were her I would be doubtful of me too.

"How do I know you won't try to wrong me?"

"How do I know you won't try to gain my trust just to hurt me?" I know, I should be over that by now, but hey, she hurt me! She looks at me with a look I can't fully interpret. Anger? Frustration? Exasperation? All of them? I'm not sure. What I'm sure is that we need to trust each other, even slightly, to make this work, and I have to be the one earning her trust again, because hers is the most damaged one. I sigh. "Look, I know you don't want to do this, and honestly neither do I; I'd prefer to work with Meg, but she's angry with me, so…" Yeah, I'm definitely not helping my cause. Why do I have to be so used to say awful things to Elsa that I can't say something even slightly nice? "Fine, let's just call a truce, okay? I won't bully you and you won't try to harm me in any way while we do this. Deal? "I ask with a hopeful smile, tending my hand to her, hoping she'll accept. She looks at my hand, then at me and speaks."

"O-Okay." She takes my hand reluctantly and in that moment I feel as if electricity roamed over all my body. It's a very strange yet pleasurable feeling, similar to the one Meg gives me, but at the same time different, stronger. "After all I don't have a partner and there seems to be no one available except you… I have no choice." She sighs and looks at the floor, but still without releasing my hand. I take notice of it, but I don't mind, so I don't say anything. However, I can't say it didn't hurt me what she said, but I _did_ tell her the same thing, so I guess we're even.

"Good." I say smiling, glad that she didn't reject me, and letting go of her hand. "Then I'll write our names." I do so and give the paper to the teacher , who in return gives me another one with our subject written on it: Pirates. I like it actually; I've always like the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. I return to Elsa and give it to her. "See, this is our topic." I expect for her answer but receive none, so I keep talking. "Let's exchange phone numbers so we can contact each other during vacation. I want to start this as soon as possible to get over with it quickly."

"F-fine." She says taking her pen. "Dictate it to me."

I do so and then take out my phone to save hers. I'm surprised to find this isn't a cellphone number, but a house one.

"Uhm… won't you give me your cellphone number?" I ask.

_Of course she won't! She doesn't trust me._

"Uhm… actually I don't have a cellphone." She looks quite ashamed as she answers.

"Oh." That's good, it's not as if she didn't trust me enough, but still it's strange. Most people of our age have one! "Why? Because you don't like technology?"

"No, i-it's just…" She looks at me very sad for a second before deviating her gaze again. "I don't want to talk about it." She seems very uncomfortable about the topic, so I decide not to push it. "Besides, I don't get out of my house too much during the break, so you'll be able to contact me at every hour and every day."

"Okay, thanks." I say. "Expect my call soon. See you before Christmas! "I wave her goodbye and quickly leave the classroom, wondering how things will turn out from this. Maybe we can have an opportunity of being actual friends? I hope everything goes well; I really want to be someone in the blonde's life and not only her bully."

Maybe this isn't a bad thing after all.


	7. Pirate women

**I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.**

* * *

**Chapter 7. Pirate women.**

I'm lying on my bed. It's been three days since the winter break started and I already feel different. Every time I think about the things I did during school time, I feel as if someone else had done them; I'm not like that at all. Before meeting Snow and the other girls I never before thought much about my appearance, but just a few days ago I was _obsessed_. I mean, what the hell I was thinking spending four hours per day just getting myself presentable? But at least, that doesn't affect anyone, unlike bullying Elsa every day for no good reason, something that I never before thought I was capable of, after all I was always kind and compassionate… but impulsive and thoughtless, and maybe that's why I ended up doing bad things just to please my friends, to please _Hans_.

Also, before meeting Hans I was sure as hell that I wanted a boyfriend, someone to _love_ and who I loved in return, not just a relationship based in mere sex… Well not _real_ sex, after all we hadn't done more than touching each other genitals… and a couple of blowjobs… well, five actually, which I may add I really disliked, but it was either that, give Hans my virginity or suffer the consequences, and I'm not brave enough to stand up against his wishes. It's became a problem though, Hans has been insisting more and more lately on the subject, but I'm not sure if I want him to be the first man to be inside me, not when I know he doesn't really love me, and that for him it will be just a "fun time" with no deeper meaning.

That's the reason because of which, when my cellphone starts ringing and I see his name on the screen, I just toss it aside without answering the call. I put my pillow over my head, trying to sleep a little more before my stomach starts growling, asking for food (around midday, probably) and preventing me from staying in bed longer. After a few minutes though, my phone starts ringing again and I try to ignore it, but I know that I won't be able to sleep if it keeps ringing, and Hans is not going to give up on trying to contact me, so I reach for it to turn it down just as the call ends, however, just as I'm about to touch the power button, I see the name of the one who called me: Elsa.

I wasn't expecting her to call me this soon, I mean after all we have two and a half weeks of winter break and it's still the third day. Maybe she was just trying to check if this was actually my number? And I just let the phone ring out. Wonderful. Maybe now she's thinking that I didn't want to answer because I don't care about schoolwork, or that I'm just mean and didn't answer her in purpose, or that I didn't give her my real number. I have to remedy it now.

However, when I'm pressing "call back" at my cellphone screen, a strange sensation invades my body, like anxiety, or nervousness. But why should I be nervous? I don't have time to answer the question because in that moment, I hear Elsa's beautiful voice.

"H-hello?"

"Elsa?" I ask, trying to sound confident.

"A-Anna?" She stutters, clearly as nervous as I am. It's comprehensible though, after all, I've been tormenting her for quite a long time. I suppose she's somewhat scared of me. I feel guilty, actually.

"Did you call me?" I ask her.

"I… uh… uhm…" She stammers cutely, clearly at a loss of words because of her anxiety.

"Did the kitten get your tongue?" I ask giggling.

"I… I don't… have a kitten." She dumbly answers. I'm so distracted by my sweeting hands and the tingling sensation on my belly that I don't realize how ridiculous her answer is and just start vomiting words without even knowing what the hell I'm saying.

"No? That's a shame because they're really cute. I don't have one either though, because my mom is allergic and when she's near one of those she starts sneezing and there are these hives that appear on her skin and… sorry, I'm rambling again. It happens when I'm nervous. N-not that you make nervous. I-I mean you are _you_ and you are nothing worth getting nervous over…" Well, that was bad, but in my defense, I only said it because my subconscious has so much pride that it doesn't want Elsa to know that she in fact makes me nervous. "Sorry, I promised I wouldn't be mean." I quickly apologize. "I'm just not used to have normal conversation with you. Sorry, again. Whatever. Why did you call me?" I finally ask what I should've asked the moment she said hello.

"Uh… To talk about what we have to do for English?" She says, but it's more like a question.

"English…?" I pause, my brain trying to get over the distracting memory of her melodious voice. Suddenly I remember. "Oh, right! English! Pirates! What about it?"

"When do you wanna do it?"

"As soon as possible." I answer, not only because I'm really looking forward to see her outside school and maybe even become her friend, but because (and, at least I tell myself this is the real reason), I don't want the pressure of schoolwork ruining Christmas.

"So… when are you available?" My heart skips a beat. Why? I don't know, but I know something about the way she asked it provoked this strange reaction on me.

"Let me see…" I think for a moment. "Everyday. I mean, it's winter break. I have nothing to do these days."

"Tomorrow, then?"

"Yes! Tomorrow is perfect."

"At… nine AM?"

"Nine?! Are you crazy? I'm still sleeping at that unholy hour!" Really, I've never been a morning person. Before, I never had problems with that because my classes started around eleven, but now that I enter to high school at seven o' clock, I intend to gain during these days the sleep I didn't have during school time. "Midday." I say.

"Eleven." She retorts.

"Half past eleven. Otherwise I will still be half asleep when we meet."

"F-fine." She sighs in resignation. "Give me your address."

"Why does it has to be in my house?" I kinda wanted to see how the place she lives in is.

"Because mine is too small." She answers. Well, I suppose I can't do anything about it, because my house is HUGE, and obviously it'd be more comfortable to be here than in a small place. Besides, this way I won't have to wake up so early.

"Okay." I say and give her my address.

"Half past eleven in your house then." She confirms." See you.

"See you Elsa!" I answer on a cheery voice before hanging up.

As I end the call, I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't know I was very tense during the whole call until now that it seems like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. However, the anxiety promptly returns. Tomorrow I'll see Elsa. Tomorrow she'll be in _my_ house. I have to mentally prepare for that and maybe make a plan to get to know her more and, perhaps, even become her friend. I know it's not going to be easy though.

* * *

So first I have to greet her enthusiastically yet politely, since she obviously isn't used to deal with bubbly girls like me. Then I'll lead her to my studio, ask her to take a seat, sit at her side, ask her if she wants a cup of chocolate and, if she says yes, ask a servant to bring one… what but what if she says no? I really want a cup of chocolate, could I force her to accept? No, that would be rude. Maybe I could ask the servant to bring just one cup for me… But wouldn't that be impolite? Maybe not, if she doesn't want one… ugh, it's too complicated. Let's start over.

So I greet her cheerfully, lead her to my studio, ask her to take a seat, sit at her side, _not _ask her if she wants a cup of chocolate, and start talking to her about… school? Wouldn't that make her uncomfortable? No, I'm sure she has good grades… but I don't and _I_ would be uncomfortable. What about… friends? No, she doesn't seem like the friendly type, so I doubt she has even one, and I don't want her to think I asked that to mock of her, not to mention that she wouldn't want me to talk about my friends, because they'd been bullying her for years. Maybe I should just wait for her to start conversation about whatever she wants? No, she won't ever open her mouth; she's not very talkative… Ugh this is too difficult. Let's return to the beginning.

So I greet her cheerfully, lead her to my studio, ask her to take a seat, sit at her side, not ask her if she wants a cup of chocolate, and not start talking to her… just get down to business, then? If I do that I'll never achieve my objective of getting to know her, but I don't know what else to do. Think, Anna, think. Ask to build a snowman? Too childish. Ride a bike around the halls? Too reckless. Just sit there staring at each other's eyes? Too romantic. Ignore her? Too rude. WHAT CAN I DO?!

I groan in frustration, pulling my hair until I realize it's already braided and I shouldn't mess with it, but I can't help it, it's too maddening not to know what to do. I've been dwelling on the matter during half an hour now, just sitting near to the entrance awaiting her arrival and I _still_ don't have a plan of action… not that I've ever been one to make plans, but this is important and can't just be left to chance. I must think on something quickly, before she arrives.

In that moment the doorbell rings.

_Great. Just great. _

I breathe deeply, trying to relax and get rid of the useless butterflies that (again) appeared on my stomach. It's pointless with the prospect of seeing Elsa in a moment, though. I get up reluctantly and then walk to the door, only to see Elsa nervously standing there, in front of the butler, who wasn't letting her get in. These servants have orders from my parents to be overly cautious about the people they let in.

"Elsa?" The butler turns around upon hearing my voice. "Let her in." I demand. "We'll be making schoolwork together."

"As you wish, Ms. Summers." He says taking a step back in order to allow her getting in. She does so and stays awkwardly in front of the door even after the butler leaves. However, I don't pay attention to this because I'm too busy staring at her.

She's dressing with the same clothes as at school, her hair is braided as well, and her skinny, almost unhealthy appearance hasn't change in the slightest. What's different however are her eyes. Yes, they are still blue, no they didn't popped out of her head; but they aren't cold, sad or scared as usual. They still have traces of those emotions, of course, but they also are warm and somewhat trustful, something that I haven't seen in months. Also, there's a light blush on her normally pale cheeks, which makes her so more beautiful than always, not to mention the shy way she lowers her head, making her look adorable. This leaves me stunned for a few seconds before I finally react and open my mouth, trying to say something:

"Uhm…" What was the plan again? "We should… get started. Follow me." I manage to say, my brain only remembering that we're supposed to do schoolwork. I avoid seeing her again to get even more nervous and screw it all up, and walk to my studio.

When we arrive I turn to ask her if she wants to take a seat, as the plan (which I'm slowly remembering) dictated, however, I find her staring with curiosity at the many Christmas decorations I adorned this room with since Thanksgiving Day.

"Do you like it?" I ask, wanting to know what she thinks about it and also make some conversation with her. "Since this is where I spend most of my time, I wanted to decorate it myself. I even made some of the snowmen." I smile proudly as I say this.

"That explains the disorder." She mutters and it brings a pang of pain in my chest; I was hoping she'd like it, after all, it's something I did without help, something of my own creation, and if she insults it, somehow it feel like she's insulting me as well.

"B-but I like it." She rushes to clarify, clearly seeing my disappointed expression. "Really, it's… warm. And cozy."

_Should I believe her?_

"Do you really think so?" I ask, already feeling better at the possibility of Elsa, _Elsa_, the one who is all perfection, liking the way I decorated this room. She nods and my smile grows wider. "Thank you." I say.

"I just have one question." She says. "Why snowmen?" There's lots of snowmen adoring the entire room, I know, but I didn't think she'd ask me that question, however I try to answer the best I can, even knowing full well that my nervousness will make me ramble and say things I don't want to say.

"I don't know." I shrug, trying not to give it importance, but sensing the words coming out of my mouth like a river. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that winter was always my favorite season because I could make snowmen at the garden and pretend they were my friends." I try say it nonchalantly and even laugh nervously, probably because I don't want to remember this, but I know that what I say can't be taken lightly and that she probably knows that. I think I left her stunned with my words because for a few moments we just stay in an awkward silence. "Anyways." I sigh, trying to break the tension. "We should get started."

"Oh… right." She says, clearly relieved. "I've been doing some research, and I think we should focus on the pirates' golden age."

_Golden age? Are you serious?! That's so unoriginal, I was expecting something more from the most intelligent girl at High School._

"You know, when they practically ruled over the Caribbean…" She says, clearly thinking I don't know what the golden age is.

"I know which the pirates' golden age is, Elsa." I say offended, after all, in my other life I was a pirate… if other lives exist. What I mean is that I know more about pirates than pirates themselves. "I've been reading about pirates half of my life and I bet I know more about the subject than you do." Half of my life, yes, because there's nothing else to do in this lonely house except read, and when I ran out of fairytales, I started with pirates.

"Sorry." She says, clearly scared at my outburst and making me feel a little guilty. Just a little though.

"It's all right. Now tell me, why do you want to focus on the pirates' golden age?" I ask her, though already knowing that, no matter her reasons, I won't be accepting that subject.

"Because most of the pirate-themed famous books are about that time?" She half-asks.

"True, but do you remember one of the important points of the talk we need to prepare?" I ask, smiling inwardly at my victory. She stares in confusion. I sigh and rolls my eyes. "Be original! We are supposed to investigate about, not the most popular aspects of the subject, but about the less known things that, regardless, are still important to literature."

"So… what do you suggest?" She asks, finally recognizing my superiority of knowledge on this subject.

"Women pirates." I say without even thinking about it.

"W-why?" She predictably asks.

"First I'll tell you my selfish personal reasons." I say, knowing that I need time to think about the real reasons." I've always admired their strength and adventurous nature, and I think that this world lack appreciation for women like that and that we should show to our classmates how this kind of women are a lot more worth than the submissive and helpless damsels. "She sexily raises an eyebrow, but as strange and sublime this action is, I don't let it distract me from what I'm saying. "Now, the real reasons, those that will convince the teacher about how valid it is for us to focus on them. On one hand, a legend about a Viking female pirate named Alvida inspired most of the fairytales that have been written, and on the other, a lot of famous writers of all nations and ages, since Miguel de Cervantes to Daniel Defoe, have written about women being pirates. Not stories, though, just opinions that, due to their great influence, caused many people to despise these women even more than they despised male pirates." Yes, I suppose that'll do it. It sounded very smart.

"Well, then I'll let you take the lead." She says. "We'll do it your way."

"Really?" I say happily, though I must say I'm actually surprised; I didn't think she'd let me take the lead that easily. "Oh… uhm… A-are you sure? I mean, _you_ are the smart one here."

"I'm not." What? "And I don't know a thing about pirate women, so it's best if you are the one in charge."

"Oh, great! This is one of my favorite subjects, right after Joan D'arc, so I was really looking forward to do it. C'mon, we should start!" I say excitedly pulling her towards the couch and making her sit on it before I go grabbing some books and notes and sit by her side, looking forward to teach her everything about pirate women.

* * *

During several hours (I really don't know how many because I lost sense of time while telling her my favorite pirate stories), I do what I'm best for: talk and talk and talk without pause. I was worried that she may be bored, but thankfully she was paying close attention to every word I said, and actually she particularly liked Mary's story, one of my favorite pirates, so we decided to do most of the talk about Anne and Mary, the two most famous women who became pirates. However, I thought we must do something more, something to make our classmates remember them forever, after all it's Anne and Mary we're talking about! We can't just tell their story without giving it some dramatic air to inspire people, right? The problem is that we spent half an hour trying to come up with something but nothing is good enough, and I'm getting tired and my stomach is about to growl loudly, so I finally say:

"There's no use. We must take a break, what do you say if we go eat some food and then keep thinking?"

"Sounds good." She agrees.

"Follow me." I say getting up. "The meal should be ready by now."

We arrive at the dining room, I motion her to take a sit and then go to the kitchen to tell the servants to serve the food (I chose hamburgers today because I really like them and I hope she likes them too). I return and sit in front of her just as they come into the dining room, placing our plates, silverware and glasses in front of us. This feels kinda weird actually, I'm not used to have someone else here with me, let alone someone of my age.

When the servants leave, we start eating in an awkward silence, only broken by the sound of the spoons hitting the plates. I pay attention at the poised and almost regal way she eats, not letting even a single drop of soup fall from her spoon. She must've had teachers to show her the proper way to eat (Something that my parents never really cared about and so I eat as I want), meaning that she must come from a former well-positioned family, and I say former because she said her house is too small… which could've been a lie, but for the moment I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

When we both finish our soup, I call for the servant to take away our plates and bring the hamburgers. As she grabs her knife and prepares to cut it (who eats a hamburger with fork and knife?), I decide that I've had enough of this silence, If we continue like this, all will become awkward and I would've lost the chance to know her better.

"So… are we going to stay silent the whole time we eat? Because it's getting a little awkward." I say.

"S-sorry." She stutters, surprised by my voice. "I-I just… I don't know what to talk about."

_At least she isn't avoiding conversation._

"Neither do I." I answer honestly. "After all we don't really know each other, so I don't have any idea of what would be interesting for you…" Suddenly an idea surges in my brain, a _brilliant _idea. How didn't I think on that before? "We should ask questions to know each other! We'll do it for turns and it isn't allowed to lie. However, we _can_ not answer the question if it makes us uncomfortable, what do you say?

"Uhm… OK." She agrees and my mood lightens up considerably, relieved that I wasn't met with refusal.

"I'll start!" I say excitedly and then put my finger at my chin, thinking. I shouldn't start with a question too personal, she could be scared by it and not want to play anymore. "This is an easy one, what's your favorite color?"

"Blue." She answers with a small smile. "And yours?"

"Green. When is your birthday?" I ask, curious to know when she was born in order to maybe give her a present that day, as a peace offering.

"In three days."

"What?! 21th of December? No way!" I exclaim. How on earth am I going to decide what to give her in just three days?

"It is. I'm turning seventeen." She adds.

"So you're one year and a half older than me; I'm turning sixteen on June 20th."

"If you are fifteen, why are you a junior?" She asks, genuinely surprised. Doesn't she know? Oh, well, I guess I never told her.

"I got excellent grades on the exam when I entered High school, so they decided that my knowledge was way over the ones of my age." That seemed to be a life time ago; now my grades are terrible. If there's one person in the school whose knowledge is over the ones who are her age, that must be Elsa, for what I've heard… but then, why is she in the same class as me? "Now, if you are as intelligent as everyone says and always get the best notes, then why are _you_ a junior? Shouldn't you be already at college?" She seems troubled by my question, and I'm afraid I went to forward, so I quickly try to repair my mistake. "I-it's okay if you don't answer. That was too personal."

"Thank you." She says relieved. "B-but I'll tell you if you promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I promise." I say smiling, glad that she is opening up a little.

"Okay..." She takes a deep breath. "I'm afraid that I won't get so perfect notes if I skip one year; every bit of information can be crucial to understand something more complex, and I can't risk to have less than perfect grades."

"Why?" I ask curious. "I mean, grades can't always tell you how much knowledge someone really has."

_At least that's what my parents always say. Even now with my less than satisfying development at school they still don't think I'm stupid._

"I think it was my turn." She says teasingly.

"Oh… right. Sorry." I know she's trying to avoid answering, but I'll let it slip because I don't want to make her uncomfortable and because she's right; it's her turn. "Please, make your question."

"Why are you doing poorly at school if you are so advanced at most subjects?"

"I-I… uh…" I swallow, thinking on the answer. The reasons I'm doing poorly at school are that I can't give it my full concentration when Hans is trying to fuck me against my wishes, and my friends constantly insist me to spend more time with them, which makes me fail assisting a few classes. "I prefer not to answer that." I decide to say.

"It's okay. It's not my place to make such questions."

"Thanks." I give her a smile, tankful that she didn't pry, and think on my next question. Now that we're here, I'd like to ask her something that's been plaguing me since the day our growing friendship stopped, but I'm not sure if she would answer… I should at least try, right? "Do you…?" I start, but something stops me. Is it wise to ask her such a question just when we're finally having some little conversation? What if she retreats into herself once more? But then again, I don't think I'll have another chance if I don't ask now. "Uhm… You don't have to answer, and I understand if you think I am being rude but… uh… Do you hate me?" As soon as I ask, I close my eyes fearing the answer.

"What makes you think I do?" She asks a little upset. Ups, I hope she isn't much angry at me.

"Well… I'd hate me if I were you. I mean, I've done pretty mean things to you for no reason." I feel really guilty, and I don't want to remind her of that, afraid that she won't want to speak with me anymore, but I take a deep breath and continue, remembering the reason I started bulling her in the first place. "Besides, what you did to me… pretending to be my friend and all…" I sigh, I can almost feel the pain with the same intensity as before. "I can't think of another reason for you to do that."

"I-I don't hate you." She says, and as I look up I can see in her eyes that she's telling the truth." I've never hated you."

"Really?" I ask with hope, wanting to hear it again.

"Yes. And I'm sorry if I hurt you by doing what I did and saying what I said."

_She doesn't hate me! Elsa doesn't hate me, even after everything I did…! Wait._

"I'm sorry too." I say ashamed. "I really am. I guess I was just mad at you for rejecting me and all, because I truly wanted to be your friend." I explain, trying to excuse the inexcusable.

"I wanted to be your friend too." She suddenly says.

"W-what?!" I scream, utterly surprised, not believing what I just heard.

_It must've been my imagination, Elsa never wanted to be my friend for sure._

"I-I… I just… I m-mean…" She stutters, clearly not knowing what to say, while I stare at her in utter shock. "I-I didn't _pretend_ to be your friend." She finally admits.

"T-then why…?" I start, but my mouth fails to continue due to my surprised state.

"I-I...I was scared. I'd never had a friend before, and I was scared of letting someone in and getting hurt. That's why I pushed you away. I didn't think you saw me as a friend though, and so I thought it wouldn't hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Oh." I say, trying to process the information. What she's saying seems plausible, after all everyone know she's the lonely type, and even if a part of me thinks that she's lying, another part wants to believe her, because, if she truly wanted to be my friend, then our reconciliation should be easier. "That makes sense." I stare at her, searching for signs of insincerity, finding none. Instead, I find in her eyes true regret, and I'm stunned at the forgiving and gentle soul on the girl in front of me. I have to consciously avert my eyes and clear my throat in order to avoid keeping looking at her, and speak again. "Your turn."

"Do _you_ hate me?" She asks.

"No." I answer. "I know it seems like it, but honestly I didn't mean anything I did to you. At first I was mad and then it was just to take out some anger and frustration. Sorry if you were the victim, but I just didn't know who else I could use. Sorry, again. I know I sound selfish." I sigh.

_It did sound selfish, not to say cruel. Using someone to take out your anger by hurting them? I'm sure she now thinks I'm a horrible person. _

"I understand." Her answers surprises me; it's not what I expected at all. "It must be hard for you to deal with Snow's critics and Hans' harassment every day. "I look at her wide eyed. I really was trying to avoid thinking about that, let alone discuss it with her. "Sorry. That was out of line." She apologizes.

"It's all right." I sigh. I didn't want to talk about it, but maybe I need to? I mean, I never liked to keep secrets, but I can't tell anyone about this… except maybe Elsa. Why do I trust her just like that? I don't know… there's something about her that makes me feel safe. "And you're right." I continue after making a decision. "It _is_ hard. Mostly because I'd always been the type of girl who believes in fairytales, you know? True love, happy endings, wish upon a star... All those silly things. So when they showed me that all of this doesn't exist... that true love doesn't exist, I got really depressed." As I say it, I remember all the pain and the sadness that's been haunting me for a few months, and it crashes into me with all its strength.

"Love does exist." She says with such conviction, that for a moment I almost believe her. Almost. "Only it's always one-sided." She looks sad when she says it, which makes me think that maybe she is in love with someone, which in other circumstances must've seemed impossible to me, but she's been honest so far, or so I think, so there's no reason for starting doubting her now, not when she seems to be telling the truth. I wonder who's the lucky guy. For some strange reason, I already hate whoever this person is.

"Do _you_ love someone?" I ask, my voice edging on an unbelieving tone.

"I did. Now I'm not so sure." I don't know why, but I feel relief at hearing this.

"Oh." I simply answer. "You're lucky; even if it's one-sided I'd like to experience love myself. At least once." I mean it, I really want to know that love is real, to feel it myself.

"I thought you loved Hans." She points out.

_I thought that too. I was such an idiot._

"I liked him. I mean, he _is_ handsome, smart and has a very interesting personality. Not to mention he _really_ knows how to be seductive. But I don't think those are reasons to _love_ someone. Not when they only want to use you and don't really care about who you are." I say sadly and bitterly.

"W-why are you telling this to me?" She suddenly asks. In that moment I realize I may have overstep the boundaries of our relationship, I mean, we are not friends yet, after all. I can't help to feel hurt at her question though.

"Oh… sorry. I shouldn't… I just assumed… never mind." I sigh feeling miserable and not knowing how to apologize, or even if I should be apologizing.

"S-sorry." She apologizes. "I didn't mean to sound rude, I-I just…" She sighs. "I'm no one, and you have so many friends and your family… shouldn't you talk to them about this?"

At her words I feel slightly angry, partially because they seem to be an attempt to conceal the real reason of why she thinks I shouldn't have said that: that we are not actual friends, but also because she really thinks I _can_ talk about this with someone else.

"The only friends I have now are Hans' friends as well, and I can't exactly tell my family that I am the unwilling friend with benefits of a guy who fooled me making me think he loved me so he could have sex with me!" It seems like I'm more angry that I thought, because now I'm screaming, causing Elsa to retreat into her chair. I take note of it and breathe to calm down, after all she's being nice and polite enough to listen to me without complaining about my rambling. "I'm sorry." I apologize, hoping that my outburst didn't damaged the little trust I had earned. "I just… I was never one to keep my emotions bottled up and I thought I could trust you?" The last part comes out in a questioning tone without me intending it.

"You can." She assures me. "I'm not telling anyone about this if you don't want me to. And you can count on me to talk, or whatever you need."

"Thank you." I say smiling. "I think you could be a very good friend." I actually mean it; no one before has been this understanding with me and opened to listen whatever I want to say. After a few moments of Elsa just staring at me without saying anything, I decide to speak again. "Who's turn is now?"

"T-turn?" She says, clearly not knowing what I'm talking about. Then her eyes show a hint of comprehension. "I-I think it's yours." She says.

Mine? What could I ask? I don't think we should keep talking on this personal subjects anymore, because they are just too private and sooner or later ne of us _will_ feel uncomfortable. A light question, then? No, I want to know her more… maybe a request? Yes! A request!

"Perfect." I say beaming, preparing to ask the question I've been wanting to ask someone for a long time. "Do you wanna build a snowman? "

* * *

After finishing our hamburgers and having eating two chocolate truffles as dessert (an idea of mine), we exited the house and started playing in the snow. I let her borrow a pair of gloves so that her hands wouldn't freeze and a jacket that I never use anymore because it's red and it doesn't combines with my hair. But seriously, who doesn't wear winter clothes in winter? Well, I suppose cold doesn't bother her since she was born on Norway, so anyways.

We started by the beginning; each of us making snowballs which will be functioning as the snowman's body. I made the smallest one, which will be his torso, and Elsa made his butt. To be honest, at first I was afraid that she may've agreed to my proposal out of pity, or because she didn't want to upset me, while she found the whole "building a snowman" thing something childish and foolish, but as strange as it is, I soon discovered that Elsa was actually _enjoying_ this, the little smile plastered on her face not fading even a little bit, nor her concentration, and it makes me proud to have found something we both like to do.

Once both snowballs are on place, we proceed to make the head. It ends up being a little odd shaped, but who cares? It's part of the fun. Of course miss perfection thinks we should make another one, but I insist that it's perfect while giving her pleading eyes, which effectively shuts her up. Once the head is situated on top the other two snowballs, I ask her to search for some pebbles, which will be the snowman's buttons and eyes, and she obeys. While she's searching for the small rocks, I carve a mouth on the snowman's face, as I've always done since I was a little kid. Some people may find it odd but no one really taught me how to make snowmen the conventional way, so I just build them my own way. However, when Elsa returns she says nothing about it, something that I'm thankful for.

Once we've placed the rocks in the correct places and I've put a carrot on the snowman's face as his nose, we finish our creation with some branches as his arms and smaller pieces of wood as his hair. We sit on the snow, in front of him, just admiring our little creation. There's only one way to describe him: Perfect! He's goofy and funny-looking, and maybe a little… odd, but I love him!

"Elsa." I say not quite processing yet that one of my oldest dreams has finally come true. "Elsa… we did it!" I exclaim throwing my arms around her and squishing hard, due to the excitement that invaded my entire being. I'm actually enjoying the hug more than what's normal; her sweet scent is invading my nostrils and the softness of her clothes registering on my skin, giving me a pleasurable sensation that I've never felt before.

After a few moments hugging her, I break the embrace to so I can see her expression. I want to know if she liked him as much as I do.

"D-did you like it?" She asks unsurely before I have the chance to speak.

"Are you kidding me? He's perfect!" I exclaim smiling even more.

"W-why?" She asks, seemingly confused at my exaggerated reaction.

"Why not?" I ask back, titling my head at one side, wanting to know what she thinks about our snowman.

""Well, he's… h-he's…" Funny? Strange? Different?. "He's not… like the other snowmen." She finishes her sentence.

"Of course!" I say. "That's what makes him special, silly." I giggle. He is different alright, but a good different, and I thought she would understand that easily. However, after seeing her still unsure face, I decide to place my hand in her cheek to reassure her. "He is the first snowman I've made with someone else… someone who is not a servant. And _that_ is enough for me to love him."

I think she still doesn't understand how much it meant for me that she agreed to make the snowman with me, and not out of pity, or because she felt obliged, but because she really _wanted_ to, and that this not only made me love the odd snowman, but it also made me appreciate her more… So much that I unconsciously start staring lovingly at her beautiful eyes.

"M-maybe you're right." She stutters, turning to look at the snowman, and after a few seconds staring at him, her gaze changes from a confusing one to one filled with pride and love, just like mine. This gives me confidence, so I surround her shoulders with my arm, making her turn to see me as I smirk.

"I'm Anna Summers. I'm _always_ right." I say confident, and she gives me a strange look that I can't quite identify. Amusement maybe? Mixed with liking. "Do you wanna take a photo with him?" I suddenly ask, sure that she won't reject me.

"I'm not photogenic." She says, smiling shyly and so adorably that she even makes my cheeks flush.

"Nonsense." I say. I'm sure she'll look perfect in every photo, after all she's a goddess in a mortal (but gorgeous) body. So I get up and grab her arm to pull her up with me. "Come on, this cute snowman deserves a picture with both of his mommies."

I place her at the snowman's right side while I go kneeling to his left. Then I take out my cellphone, but when she's about to take the photo I notice that Elsa is still standing where I left her, as if she didn't know what to do or what was going on.

"Come on, Elsa. Kneel down!" I instruct. Elsa blinks as if getting out of a trance and does as I said, while I hold up my phone. "Smile!" I say before touching the screen so the cell phone takes the picture. Once it's done, I eagerly see it, wanting to know how do Els… _we_ look on it. I look as always; happy and (may I say so myself) pretty, and Elsa looks as her gorgeousness self… but there's something wrong that makes me frown and turn to see her. "It's not that bad, but it could be better. Care to take a second one?" I say.

"I told you I wasn't photogenic. Why don't you take a photo of you alone with this snowman?" She says.

"But you look good in that photo" I protest. "It's just…" I bite my lip. "You didn't smile. And you look beautifuller when you smile…" Suddenly I realize what I said and Elsa's confused stare doesn't help either, making me nervous, which causes my rambling to emerge. "N-not fuller, you don't look fuller, but more- more beautiful." I expect her to laugh on me, and to tell me what a fool I am. As predicted, laugh erupted from her beautiful lips, but it's not exactly what I was expecting; she doesn't seem to be laughing on me, she seems to have found my rambling funny, so funny that her hand isn't able to hide her smile, something I'm really thankful for. He looks so happy and cute flushed and laughing like that with her eyes closed that I can't resist taking a photo of her, to remember the funny side of the Ice Queen. "See?" I ask showing her the screen when she finally stops giggling. "I told you. I really like you when you're not all stone-faced."

"I like to smile too." She says. "It's better than to cry anyways. I've even forgotten how it feels to beam like this."

For a moment I'm stunned at her words. Did she forgot how to laugh? Is she used to cry more than smiling? I really want to ask her what she meant by this, but I don't want to ruin the mood so, instead, I decide to make her laugh and smile even more.

"Come on, now let's take some photos." I say excitedly.

First we start with some photos of us and the snowman, and the snowman alone, but then I decide to take pictures of her and me alone, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I took advantage of this situation to touch Elsa more because really her touch feels so… different, like when Meg touches me, just more intense. So I take photos of me hugging her, of her covered in the snow I just threw at her, of her carrying me bridal style (she is so strong! Well, not really; her arms were trembling, but at least she didn't drop me, right?), me kissing her cheek, which I may add was very warm considering we were on the snow, of us making snow angels while holding hands, and the last one, the craziest of them all, the one that I feared would creep her out: me licking her cheek, while she closed her eyes in disgust.

At the end it all went more than perfect since she kept smiling the entire time, even in the last picture her smile only faded an instant before returning to her face. I'm sure I will never forget this day with her because fun makes the memories easier to remember… Hey that's it! That's what we need for our talk about pirate women: fun.

"Hey Elsa!" I say while we shake the snow off our clothes at the entry.

"Yes?" She asks.

"I think now I know what to do for the talk to be unforgettable."

"Oh. What is it?" She says with curiosity and a gentle smile.

I smile mischievously and her eyes widen in realization of what she just got into.

* * *

"Seriously?" She asks raising an eyebrow as she stares at the mirror of my bathroom. I let her borrow a black vest with silver skulls painted on it, brown tight pants that hold nicely her slim legs, boots and a toy sword tied to her belt. She looks ravishing honestly, but…

"I think something's missing." I say while placing a finger at my chin. She still doesn't look quite like a real pirate, not with that cute hairband and bangs. "O, I know!" I exclaim, taking then a red paliacate out of my "magic bag", as I call it (the bag where I keep all my customs) and tie it around her head. "There you are. The most handsome-beautiful pirate girl who has ever existed in this world." I say as I take some steps back to admire my handwork. I smile proudly but she just keeps staring at me in disbelief.

"Y-you're just kidding right? We're not seriously gonna dress up like pirates." She says nervously.

"Why not?" I ask with feigned innocence.

"Never mind." She sighs, and her answer makes me smile even more.

"Good. Now, let me change into my own pirate suit before we start the play."

"P-play?"

"Why else would we dress up? We are gonna play Anne and Mary." Yes, that was my crazy idea, but in my defense I shall say that this will be fun without doubt.

"O-okay." She says before exiting the bathroom to let me change.

I don't have problems deciding which costume I should use; I just pick my favorite one: black boots with high heels, black short skirt, white shirt with a lot of cleavage, which shows my recently enlarged breasts (mom was right; they just needed time, now I'm a B cup), tight brown vest that holds tightly my waist, and a pirate hat, which in my opinion looks better if I use my former favorite hairstyle: twin braids.

When I exit the bathroom dressed like a fierce pirate woman, I see Elsa's eyes widen and her cheeks become red. The look she's directing towards me can only be described as desire, her eyes roaming trough every curve of my body until I feel oddly exposed and my heart beat becomes faster. I know she shouldn't be looking me like that, since we are both girls, but I can't blame her; I look amazing dressed like this, so much that even women can't resist ogling at me.

"When you're done drooling we can start working with our little play." I say smirking.

"Oh? Oh! Yeah, totally, let's go." She says blushing even more and looking pretty embarrassed.

I giggle and start making some space in the living room to aloud us to move easier, moving some stuff from one place to another. I was kinda hopping Elsa would help me but I supposed she's too tired, after all she did carry me earlier. When I'm done I turn to see her, but something's odd about my favorite blonde; she's not beautifully red and smiling like minutes ago, now she's pale and has an anguished face, and a few drops of sweat run down her temple.

"Elsa are you all right?" I ask concerned, thinking that maybe she caught a cold because of the time we spent at the snow. "You're sweating." I place a hand on her forehead to see if she has fever, but she's actually a little colder than me, though that's not surprising given that it's winter. Maybe it's not physical after all? Maybe she's worried for something?

"T-totally. Let's-…. let's just get this over with." She says still nervous but at least less troubled.

"Perfect!" I exclaim cheerily getting my hand off my forehead and retrieving her notes, hoping that this will distract her from whatever caused her to pale like that. "Well, so I was thinking we should do some narrating at the first part, since we can't perform it with just two people, and then act the part when they meet. I will be Anne and you Mary. Ready?" I say.

"O-ok." She squeaks.

"Do you remember how they met?"

"Uhm…" She trails off. And for a moment I'm surprised and even a little upset, thinking that she didn't pay attention when I explained it to her, but then she speaks. "M-Mary got into Rackman's crowd. R-right?"

"Correct! But she did so dressed up as a man, so they didn't know she was truly a girl, you know because of that sexist myth that women on board bring bad luck." She nods. "And she fooled them… even Anne." Here's where the fun comes. "Now, ready? This scene is mostly me doing the job. You just stand there and procure to look perturbed when it seems appropriate, okay?"

"F-fine." She stutters, casting my eyes to the side and blushing, probably knowing what I am about to do.

"Here we go." I put my notes aside, close my eyes and inhale deeply, getting focused on what I'm going to do. I'm a pirate, a famous thief of the sea, the great Anne Bonny, and I want to make out with the most handsome pirate ever… which isn't hard to imagine, since _indeed_ Elsa is the most handsome pirate ever. "Hello handsome." I say with a flirty tone and half-lidded eyes, approaching her. "Captain Read, isn't it?"

"M-Mary w-wasn't c-c-captain." She stutters nervously.

_Damn! Her good looks got me distracted._

"Oh! That's right." I say dropping my act. "Okay, let's start over." I clear my throat and get into character again. "Sailor Read, what are you doing this beautiful day?"

"N-nothing… at all." She says, acting as if she were really nervous and uncomfortable. I didn't thought she was this good at acting. I approach to her until our eyes are mere inches away from each other, and reach to touch her cheek with my hand. She swallows and diverts her gaze.

"Oh? I think we should fix that. We don't want lazy men on board, do we?" As I speak, I lean in, getting so close to her that our lips are almost touching. I have to admit this is really tempting; I want to kiss her, I wonder how her lips would taste. I bet they're sweeter than melted chocolate and softer than silk… gosh I think I really, _really_ got into character.

I look up to see her. Now she has her eyes closed and she's not reacting to what I say. I suppose she doesn't remember what's next. Well, in that case I could kiss her and say it's part of the act… wait, what? No! What I need is put some space between us. Let's just procure not to seem so eager to distance from her, she could figure out that something's wrong with me.

"Elsa?" I ask giggling purposely and taking one step back. "Did you forget what happens next?"

"Hum… Mary… No, Anne… She…" She seems to be struggling to think on the right answer, and I decide to tease her a little, to punish her for not paying attention.

"Mary shows her tits to Anne to prove that she's not a man." I say in a very serious and calm tone, even though I'm laughing inside.

_God, I hope she shows me… I mean no! I totally don't want to see her tits! That's ridiculous._

"What?!" She exclaims with a panicked expression. "I'm not going to do that!" I burst into laughter so hard that I even bend over and hug my stomach, almost running out of air. Her reaction is so funny! She totally believed I was serious!

"Oh my god! You should've seen you face!" I say still gasping for air. "Priceless!" Tears start coming out of her eyes as I continue laughing harder than I've ever had.

"Well, I'm glad to see that making fun of me makes you so happy." She says in a serious tone, with an angry expression and crossing her arms. My laughter instantly dies.

_Did I just screw up with her? I hope not. I couldn't live with myself. I should try to, apologize and say it was only a stupid joke… maybe I should use some persuasion to make sure she forgives me._

"Elsa, I'm sorry, it was only a joke." I say walking towards her and placing my arms on her shoulders. "Please forgive me?" I procure to use the sweetest tone I can manage, and bat my eyelashes.

"No." She says curtly, deviating her gaze to the left.

_This is more difficult than I thought. I have to use more of my weapons._

"Please?" I say again, this time hugging her and placing my head at the crook of my neck, nuzzling on her.

_Oh, this feel so good. Her skin is really soft, now I just want to kiss her neck._

"Alright, fine." She says, bringing me back to planet earth and out of the filthy thoughts that were starting to invade my head. I have to focus! She can't know I was thinking about kissing her and… other things. She'd think I'm a freak, I mean, we're both girls!

"Really?" I ask pretending to be excited and reluctantly letting go of her, taking a couple of steps back.

"On one condition." She says.

"Whatever you want." I reply without thinking.

"Let's not do that again. Acting is really not my thing."

"B-but…"

"It was funny and all, but I don't think this is what the teacher wants." She gives me an apologetic smile. I pout, hoping to convince her otherwise. "We could still dress up like pirates if you want."

I reconsider it for a second. As much as I wanted to make a little pirate play, I know that it's probably for the best if we don't do it; we don't want an scene as the one that just happened to repeat in front of our classmates, I mean, what if the next time I can't restrain myself and kiss her? What would everyone think of me? Of her? Surely they would bully her even more because of this.

"Maybe you're right. It was childish." I sigh. "But funny." I clarify. I really liked doing this. "And we _will_ dress up like Anne and Mary." I add mischievously; I want to see Elsa dressed like this at least one more time.

"Okay. Now let's continue with the information we have to study. It's getting late and soon I'll have to go." She says.

_What?! Is she leaving already?! But it's like five! Oh well, I guess that my parents would also me insist me on arriving at six or something like that if I went out._

"Fine." I say, a little sad because of the prospect of her departure. "But you will keep those clothes on as we do it." She opens her mouth to protest, but I speak first. "You owe it to me, since you didn't want to make the little play."

"Okay." She sighs resigned.

* * *

After two hours trying to make Elsa learn every bit of information about women pirates we have found, she turns to see me, while I'm reading thoughtfully one of my many books about piracy, and says:

"Uhm… Anna, I think it's time for me to go."

"Uh? Already?" I say turning to see her. She nods.

"Well, go change, then. I'll wait here."

She does as I told her and I turn to see the clock. Almost seven PM. Well, it's not really that early but neither too late, but I just don't want her to go yet. I know that if she goes now, I'm not going to see her until classes start again, about two weeks from now, and when we return to school, I don't know if she will be willing to talk to me again, I mean, I'd still be just someone who she made some schoolwork with_ and_ who is friend of her bullies. Maybe I shouldn't be so worried about this, but it's just that today felt so _right_. For the first time in months I was really, truly _happy_ and I felt again as my old self. I was the careless funny Anna who wasn't so much full of frustration that didn't have to hurt someone to feel less miserable. Plus, I didn't worry about my relationship with Hans. I think that maybe being with Elsa is the solution. Maybe she could save me. I can't let her go without her accepting to be my friend first.

"Is everything okay?" Her voice interrupts my thoughts.

"What? Oh, yeah, totally, it's just…" I bite my lip, thinking on how to approach this subject. "I really enjoyed our time together and I was thinking… We should… be friends." As I say this my anxiety grows to the point that I'm sweating.

"I'm sorry. That's not possible." She states sadly. I frown, this doesn't make any sense… unless she was lying earlier.

"Why not? Earlier you said…"

"I know what I say, but…" She pauses and closes her eyes as if she wasn't sure on what to say. "W-we… we belong to different status in the High School society, and I'm an enemy of your friends. They won't accept our friendship."

"Well, fuck them!" I exclaim furiously, getting up. Yes, I'm aware of our differences, but honestly I'd prefer to have Elsa as my only friend than to have the fake friendship of every other person at school. I have to make her see it. "I want you." To emphasize my words, I walk towards her and take her hand. "Please Elsa, I don't care the consequences."

"It's not possib…"

"There _must_ be a way." I cut her off. She can't decide what's best for me. "You make me happy, and only with you I can be myself. Please." I plead desperately, hoping she'd understand. I don't care if I look pathetic, I just want to be with her. I see her hesitating and I rush to assure her that she can trust me. "Pease, Elsa, I know you should me doubtful of my intentions, but believe, the one who treated you like shit all this time wasn't the real me… Please."

"I-I don't know Anna." She says taking a step back. "I don't want any of us to get hurt."

"Well, I think we're already getting hurt, so it doesn't matter." I point out.

"You don't understand. You haven't experienced the real High School, you are new in this world. If you mess up with your current friends, you'll seriously regret it.

She's right. This is my first year living on the real world, and I don't know for sure which could be the consequences or if I'm ready to bear them, to accept the responsibility of my actions. On the other hand, she's more experienced and, for the worried look in her eyes, so full of concern for my well-being, I'm sure that she knows what she's taking about. The problem is that, even if I don't want to get hurt because I honestly don't know if I'd be able to handle it (and deep inside I don't want to lose my place at the High School "royalty" either), I still want with all my will to be Elsa's friend.

I bite my lip and look away, not seeing a solution that provides me an easy way out of this problem. I must have to think about it… maybe in a few days I'll find the answer.

"If… If there was a way for us to be friends, would you do it?" I ask.

There's a moment of silence before she answers without a hint of doubt in her voice:

"Yes."

"Well then promise me you'll think on ways for being friends and I'll do the same, but meanwhile, I think we should enjoy our vacations and continue seeing each other. What do you say?" I really want to see her again before winter break ends, and so I ask for another meeting without thinking about it.

"I… I suppose it can't hurt." She shrugs.

"Perfect!" I smile, happy that she accepted, and she smiles back. "Then let's meet in…" I pause. I'd like to see her tomorrow, but that would seem too desperate. The day after tomorrow I have a sleepover with my friends, and even if I'd prefer to be with Elsa, I can't let them know about this. Not yet at least. In three days it's Elsa's birthday, and I suppose she'll spend it with her family. The 22th she'll probably be resting after her birthday party, so the only day left is… "December 23th? Is that okay?" I ask.

"Yes. It's perfect." She says with a little grin. Then she glances towards the clock and sighs. "I must really go now."

"Oh! Of course, follow me." I say and lead her to the to the entrance. There I turn to see her, slightly sad at her departure. "So… I think this is the part when we say goodbye."

"Yeah…" She says with resignation, which I'm pleased to see, because it means that she doesn't want to go yet. "It was nice spending time with you. Very different to how I supposed it would be. A good different." She gives me a truthful smile and tends me her hand. "Goodbye, Anna."

I decide not to take her hand, instead I hug her tightly and say to her ear:

"Goodbye Elsa."

I let go of her and we stay smiling at each other for a bittersweet moment before she turns around and steps out of my house. I am wondering how she will go home or if her house is near enough to go walking when she turns around suddenly and says:

"Anna?"

"Yes?" I ask with a hopeful tone. Honestly I don't know what I'm waiting for, but there's a tension in the air that I can feel clearly growing between us and there's this expectation that I feel on my body but can't clearly identify in my head.

"I... I really like your braids." She says. The tension breaks. It's not quite what I was expecting but I appreciate her compliment, not only because it seems to be genuine (unlike the other's I've receiving from different people the past months.), but also because she's the first one to like my braids (instead of telling me they look ridiculous), and I'm glad because I really like them too, so this means a lot to me.

"Thanks." I say blushing. "I like your braid better, though." I gulp, suddenly nervous after complimenting her back. "G-goodnight."

"Goodnight." She answers. I stay there, wanting to see her go, and she giggles, hiding her mouth with her hand as usual. Then she reluctantly turns around and walks away.

I see her retreating form until she gets inside a car parked not too far away from my door. I suppose her father came to pick her up. She must have really good parents, that'd explain her kind nature. I sigh. I enjoyed this day but I'm sad that it's already over. I hope the next few days go faster than normal; can't wait to see her again.


	8. A sleepover of realization

**I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.**

* * *

**Chapter 8. A sleepover of realization.**

Today I am going on a sleepover at Snow's house with all my friends. It was a little difficult convincing my father, but he agreed when I told him it will be an only girls thing and that there would be no alcohol or drugs or dangerous excursions at night.

The plan is to leave our things at the house, go shopping, return, have dinner (which, knowing Snow, will be just an apple, which is why I brought a good amount of chocolates in my bag), stay up late talking and playing games and then go to sleep. Sounds nice, right? But you know what sounds even nicer? A sleepover with Elsa. We would walk around the block, have some ice-cream, talk, laugh, get to know each other, return home, have hot chocolate and chocolate cake for dinner, sit on the living room playing chess (though I'm sure she'd kick my ass every time, but I'd still enjoy it), maybe watch some movies and go to bed. We'd both sleep in my room since my bed is big enough, and I'd tickle her until she surrendered before finally falling asleep in her soft arms. That would be _so_ nice! But we aren't that close yet, so… yeah.

I am so immersed on my thoughts that I don't notice Meg standing in front of me until she prods the tip of my nose with her finger.

We were supposed to meet at a train station that was near to Snow's house because I didn't know how to get there and, unlike the other girls, I don't have a chauffeur because my father wouldn't trust anyone enough to take me to places. So Meg is going to lead me to where the sleepover will be taking place.

"Hey, ginger." She says. "Daydreaming again?" She smirks and I grunt.

"Of course not." I deny pouting.

"Right." Meg rolls her eyes. "Come on, let's go. We shouldn't arrive late; you really don't want to see Snow's angry side."

Meg takes me by the waist and gently leads me through the streets full of houses that clearly belong to rich people, while she continues talking.

"So what made you so distracted?" She asks. I don't answer because I know she can always see through my lies and there's no way I'm telling her the truth. However, a faint blush appears on my cheeks as I remember my previous thoughts. "Or maybe I should ask _who_?" She says rising an eyebrow. I shook my head, but bite my lip as the words fight to come out of my mouth, after all, when I'm happy about something I can't keep myself from telling someone. "It's not that jerk Hans, is he?" She says this somewhat angry, but mostly worried.

"No, of course not." I quickly assure her. I've tell her almost everything about my relationship with Hans, so she knows I don't want to be with him anymore, but she's worried because I continue being his friend with benefits.

"Then who's the lucky guy?" She asks smiling again, though I can see though it; she'll kill the owner of the name if I told her. Sometimes she is as overprotective as my parents. I roll my eyes.

"It's nothing like that, okay? I was thinking about a friend, that's all."

"Yeah, and I suppose you blush every time you're thinking about your friends." She sarcastically retorts.

"She's a girl, so stop assuming things." Though I may say it's true that I only blush like that when I think about Elsa… how strange.

"So what if she's a girl? You can still like her _that_ way." I don't know if I should take her seriously, after all she's always sarcastic, but she's also very strange, so it wouldn't surprise me if she thought that romantic relationships between two women are possible.

"Are you_ serious?_" I ask unbelieving. "Two women can't be romantically involved with each other!"

"Oh, right. I forgot I was talking with miss 'I'm so straight that even rules envy me'." She makes a poor imitation of my voice, mocking of me. In other circumstances I would've punched her shoulder playfully for this, but now I'm too confused by her words.

_Straight? What does she mean with that? What does it have to do with women having feelings for other women?_

I open my mouth to ask this question when in that moment we hear a voice from our left and see a pink car with the back window totally down and Aurora's head poking out of it.

"Hey girls, don't you want a ride?" She asks enthusiastically. Meg grunts and I smile politely. I really wanted to continue talking with her, and I can't do it unless we're alone, but I know it wouldn't be wise to turn down Aurora's offering, so I answer for both of us.

"Of course, thank you Aurora."

"You're welcome." She answers while opening the door to allow us getting in.

* * *

We are in Snow's house. All of my friends were already here and they greeted us cheerfully. However, I couldn't help but notice a big difference between them and Elsa; even if she always try to conceal her feelings, she never fakes them: when she smiled at me it was because she really was happy to see me, not because she needed to pretend she was, when she was afraid, when she was nervous, when she was disgusted… all her emotions were real and her actions genuine, unlike them.

To be honest, I wasn't that interested on coming in the first place and now I was regretting staying, but I knew they'd all be mad if I didn't, so here I am, admiring the many mirrors that hang from the walls. I've heard that Snow and her step-mother were vain before, but I never imagined it came to this extent; seriously, it almost exactly like the House of Mirrors that was on the fair. Aside from that, it's a very pretty and luxurious house.

When we've all put our things in Snow's living room, we exit the mansion and get into her track, so her chauffeur drive us to the mall.

As always, we visit first the cloth shops… _all_ of them; the ones which aren't 'nice' enough only visit to criticize them and the people who go there, and the other ones, to try on all we can find and criticize each other… yes, it's pretty awful, but I have no choice. I never noticed before how superficial they are, but I know they've always been this way. What changed, then? I know it was not them, so it has to be me. Only in five days? I think it may have something to with Elsa… or maybe not. I never really cared about what I wear; as long as it was comfortable and looked good enough; it didn't mattered its brand or if it was revealing enough, the only thing that mattered was if I liked it. So, I deduce that all those months I was acting just to fit in their group. Heck, my life the past few months was entirely a farce! And I didn't even notice! And for what? To gain fake friends and popularity, which would be taken from me if I stopped pretending to be like them… which is why, even now that I'm conscious about it, I won't stop. I just don't have the guts to face the consequences. I'm such a coward.

Well, at least now I have Elsa. I can be myself with her… wait. I said we should _both _think on ways of being friends without getting hurt, but the truth is that I haven't thought on anything. Maybe here I'll be able to make up a plan.

Let's see… A jewelry shop. They have those cheesy pendants of hearts broken in two, one for each person. They also have for friends. But no, that's exactly the opposite from what I'm searching for. I want a secret friendship, after all. Mmmmhh… but maybe I could buy something for Elsa's birthday's present. Not a necklace, though; I don't think she'd wear it even if she likes it. A bracelet? No, maybe a golden clock? That's even worst. Earrings? Yes! I've seen her wearing earrings, but they are so small that are hardly noticeable. She needs a nice pair of earrings that make her look even more beautiful, maybe blue to highlight her eyes, and long, definitely long.

"Do you wanna go see those?" Meg asks me in a whisper as she sees me gazing intensely at the earrings. "Go. I'll take care of them." She winks at me.

"Thanks." I smile before she goes to distract the other girls with some necklaces that are 'supposedly' the latest fashion but I'm guessing she just made that up a second ago. She is a good friend.

With the cost clear to search for Elsa's gift, I start looking around the store. That's when one of the employees approaches to me and asks me:

"Can I help you?"

"Uhm…" I trail off as I turn around to make sure none of my friends are near enough to listen. Nop; they are all too busy adorning themselves with jewelry and staring at the mirrors to even look at my direction. "I want earrings. Blue earrings. "

"I see." He says. "Which type?"

"Dangling. Long enough to be noticeable, but not to too much."

"Well, we have these models." He draws three pairs of earrings out of the showcase and gives them to me. I closely look at them. All of them are pretty, there's one which looks like a pair of starry skies, other which consists of two balls of teal rocks and another that resembles the deep blue of a clear summer sky. However, those aren't what I'm looking for.

"Uh… don't you have something that looks like… ice? " I ask. There's nothing better to describe Elsa's eyes' color, and I want them to compliment her eyes.

"Just one second." He says and goes to something from the back of the store and returns with another pair of earrings. These are glacier blue and see-though with the shape of two frozen water drops, which are just the length I wanted.

"Perfect." I exclaim. "I'll take them." Just as I say this, I remember that I'm still stuck with my friends, and that they can't see Elsa's gift, so I shouldn't buy it right now. "On better thought, can I pay now half of the price and come to purchase them latter?"

"Of course, I'll give you a note and with it you can come any time you want to reclaim these. "

"I'll do that." I nod.

A minute later it's all done, and I quickly return to my friends' side, who, thanks to Meg, hadn't even noticed my absence. After a few more minutes of pointless chatting about which brand of jewels is better while examining said jewels, we finally head out of the store. As we go to whichever store they wanted to go, Meg slows her pace so we can talk without them listening, and I do the same.

"So, what did you buy?" She asks. I consider telling her I didn't buy anything, but I know she most likely saw me handing the money to the employee.

"Just a gift for my mom." I shrug. I don't like lying to Meg, but I know even she wouldn't understand. She hates Elsa just like the others.

Then, we continue visiting some other stores, but nothing comes to my mind to solve the problem that I have with Elsa… until I see a phone store in the distance. If Elsa had a cellphone, we could send each other SMS! Even during school time, without anyone noticing. I know it's not ideal, but it's the best plan I've came up with. There's only one problem, though; Elsa doesn't have a cellphone, but I have enough money to buy one and give it to her as a Christmas present, after all, she said that it wasn't as if she didn't _want_ one, right? However, it'll have to wait; I've already take one risk when buying her earrings. I'd have to come back some other day, maybe tomorrow, by my own.

* * *

After arriving to Snow's house and having dinner, which predictably consisted on an apple, it's time to play. I thought we'd play board games like monopoly or checkers or I don't know, something like that, but we'll play something of Snow's own invention… well, Meg told me it was actually her stepmother's invention, but Snow always says it's hers.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall!" She announces excitedly as she holds a pink box with a piece of a mirror on its cover. All the girls let out excited squeals.

_But it's not _really_ a mirror. And it's not on the wall._

As I see the angry and accusing gazes they all direct to me, I instantly realize that I just voiced my thoughts without noticing.

"But I like it, really!" I quickly exclaim rising my hands to beg for forgiveness. "A-after all, who wants an actual mirror just stuck in a boring wall, right?" I say nervously. "This is a lot more cool… I mean cooler!" I sigh and lower my head. Why is my language always affected when I get nervous?

However, it works to make them cool off about the whole issue, since they maliciously laugh at me and forget about my previous words in an instant. I wouldn't really mind in other circumstances, but I know they are purposely making their laughs more strident to embarrass me further. I let it pass, though. I know it was my fault for speaking my thoughts in the first place.

When their laughter finally dies, Snow turns to me and starts explaining the game.

"Since you're new here, I'll have to teach you how to play. It's very simple actually, I think that even a silly girl like you can comprehend it.2 I roll my eyes but say nothing. "First, the one who holds the mirror has to say: 'Mirror, mirror on the wall…' and asks it a question, then everyone has to grab a piece of paper and write what they think answers said question. Once it's done, we have to put the papers inside the box. The one who holds it, has to shake it, open it and choose a paper, which will be the answer. Understand?" I nod. "Good. I'll go first." She holds the box so she's looking directly to the 'mirror' and starts. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

"That's her favorite question." Meg whispers to my ear. "Even though she gets mad whenever her name isn't chosen." She giggles and I do so too. In that moment, Ariel hands me a piece of paper and a pencil, and we start writing the name of who we think is the fairest of them all.

_That's easy. _

Only one name appears on my mind.

Once we've placed the names on the box and Snow has shaken it and chosen one, she holds up the chosen paper and reads aloud:

"Elsa Frost."

A death-like silence descends upon the room. Everyone turns to look at each other with questioning gazes… everyone except Meg, who instantly turns to me, knowing full well that I was the one who wrote it. Snow notices this and asks me coldly:

"Anna, sweetheart, were you the one who wrote this?" Instantly I know I'm in trouble.

"Y-you didn't say anything about asking whose paper was it." I nervously say, trying to avoid the question.

_"__My_ game, _my_ rules. Answer me." She says even more harshly.

"W-what if I did?" I retort against my better judgment.

"It was me." Meg interferes before Snow can give me some nasty answer. "It was only a joke. I wanted to see you faces if it was chosen." She laughs half-heartedly, buy no one else does, probably because they don't believe her. I don't laugh either because I'm too shocked to react.

_Why would she take the blame for me?_

"Check the names if you don't believe me." She says confidently as she notices their dubious expressions.

Snow does as she's told, reading each paper one by one.

"Aurora, Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella and… Anna." She reads my name in disbelief, as if she wasn't expecting it to be there.

"The only name missing is mine, as you can see." Meg says. "Meaning, I was the one who wrote Elsa's. You know I'm always sarcastic, and I wanted to add a fun touch to this game, so by writing that ice bitch's name, I really meant that she's the exact opposite of fair." She smirks.

All nod in understanding and eventually start laughing at Meg's little joke. I wonder for a second why did they believed her so easily, but then I understand that all wrote their own names… and Meg wrote mine, so they all believed her when she said it had been her who wrote Elsa's; because she _seemed_ to be the only one who haven't wrote her own name.

"Thank you." I whisper to her when the others are busy laughing and commenting how Elsa was the farthest thing from fair.

"You're welcome." She whispers back. "Just don't do it again."

"I won't." I promise. I've re-learned one important lesson today: don't express your thoughts if they are against what they think.

* * *

We keep playing 'Mirror, mirror' for hours, since Snow certainly doesn't seem get tired of it. I, on the other hand, soon don't want to play anymore. I noticed that every time someone asked a mean question like 'Who is the ugliest of them all?' or 'Who is the one who deserves death most?', everyone wrote Elsa's name. Well, sometimes they wrote the name of another 'looser', but Elsa's was their ultimate favorite. Each time her name was chosen I felt pain and rage surge within my heart, but I always bit my tongue to keep myself from disagreeing with them out loud.

After three hours of torture, I can't conceal my thoughts and feelings anymore, so I suggest we should play another game, like 'Truth or dare'. To my surprise, they agree and we play for another hour or so until Aurora and Snow start to yawn.

"Already asleep?" Asks Cinderella in a teasing tone.

"Shut up. Not all of us can dance until midnight and still be awake enough sneak into our parents' house." Aurora retorts.

"Sure, Sleeping "Beauty"" Ariel says, quoting the last word. The other girls start giggling as Aurora pouts.

"Sleeping Beauty is the nickname we gave her because she was always the last one to wake up during sleepovers." Meg whispers to my ear and I nod in thanks.

"Say whatever you want but sleep helps you keep being young and beautiful." Snow says. At this no one dares to complain or say even a word about how early it is yet to sleep considering this a sleepover. "Now, it's time to go to bed. I have had another bed moved into my bedroom, but a third one would make us feel crowded, so I decided two of us will have to stay in the room next to mine. It's time to decide the sleep arrangements." Then, she turns to Meg. "Meg, please, can you wait for us somewhere else as we decide?" She asks politely, batting her eyelids, but I notice that Meg tenses up and a hurt look overtake her features as she get up and walks away.

_What was all that about?_

"Well." Snow says as she takes out of a little purse four sticks. "As I'm the owner of this house, so I'm not going to sleep with that _dyke._" That word again. I suppose it's a bad word. I'll never understand why they treat Meg so differently; she's their friend after all, right? Why the disguised aggression isn't enough? "So now we'll decide who of you will be the unfortunate one to share bed with her, and to make it fair, it will be randomly. Grab a stick, the one who chooses the smallest one, will have to do it."

We do as Snow instructed and, by the end, I am the one holding the smallest stick. I actually don't mind sleeping with Meg; she's my best friend after all, but as I hear their laughs and mocking, I become a little anxious.

"Bad for you, Anna." Snow laughs with a malicious smirk in her eyes.

"In the morning you'll tell us if you survived in one piece." Ariel says giggling.

"Or if you lost your panties." Cinderella adds.

"We better give them the other room to allow them some privacy." Aurora says and the others burst into even a louder laughter.

"Oh, that reminds me…" Says Snow after most of the giggles have died. "We should get going now to the room." They all nod and stand up to follow, but I know I won't be able to sleep if I'm left with the doubt of why it's so terrible for them to sleep with Meg, and I can't ask _her_ because that would be impolite.

"Wait." I say standing up. "Why is it such a terrible thing to sleep with Meg?"

"Because she's a dyke." Aurora answers as a matter of factly. I stare at her confused. "Lesbian, homosexual, gay, whatever you want to call it." She adds. Those words don't make any sense to me; the only one I've heard before is "gay", but I've always thought it referred to a man who acted like a girl, which in this case makes no sense.

"What do you mean?" I ask, despite the danger of looking stupid.

"She likes women." Ariel interferes. "As in a sexual way." She adds after seeing my confused stare.

"B-but she has a boyfriend!" I protest.

"Fine." She rolls her eyes. "She's bisexual then. She likes both, women _and_ men."

"B-but…" I try to make another question, however, Snow interrupts me.

"I'm tired." She says. "Let's go sleep."

At this, the others walk beside her to the rooms, but I stay behind trying to make sense to what they just told me. Women don't like women, right? They are _supposed_ to like men, but then again, if it was as unheard as I think, there wouldn't be so many words to describe those who have these preferences. Besides, I was only able to leave my house a few months ago, and that's probably the reason of why I never knew anything about this. Also, since all of the TV shows, movies and books I've ever seen, are about couples consisting on a men and a women, I never thought it was even possible… until now.

"Anna?" I hear Ariel's voice calling for me. "Don't worry, if Meg actually rapes you, then Hans would kill her for stealing his chance to take your virginity himself." She reassures me. Her words make my stomach twist uncomfortably, but not because I think Meg is going to rape me, after all she's my friend; she'd never do that, but because they remind me of Hans wanting to bed me.

"Y-yes! You're right." I say, trying to look relieved. "Let's go sleep." And I start following them towards the chambers.

* * *

Originally I had planned on eating chocolates with Meg as soon as the other girls turned off the lights, but strangely I don't feel in the mood, and I just lay down in bed looking away from Meg, just thinking and thinking and thinking. After a few minutes, maybe an hour, I can't take it anymore and get out of the room to head towards the bathroom. There, I wash my face hoping it would help me clear my thoughts, but I'm still as haunted by them as before, so I go to the glass doors that lead to the pool and stare at the waters.

If what they say is true, and women can sexually like other women, then that would explain a lot; why, as handsome as Hans is, he never evoked in me the feelings that just _touching_ another female do, or why I usually catch myself staring at other girls in ways only men should… or why it feels so good when I touch Elsa; it would explain my obsession towards the girl, and why it can't go a day without me wanting to at least be near to her, even if it's just to bully her, as insane as it may sound. I like Elsa. I _want_ her, and not precisely like a friend.

I sigh. Yes, it would explain a lot of things, but I guess it will take a little more convincing to get my brain to accept that I, in fact, prefer women. Doubts swirl through my brain as I remember the pleasure that I, nonetheless, felt while kissing Hans, even though the other activities weren't as good for me.

In that moment a voice interrupts my thoughts.

"You can't sleep?" Meg asks from behind me.

"No." I answer shortly, not parting my gaze from the waters.

"They told you, didn't they? About me?"

"Yes." My mind is so confused right now that I can't bring myself to give her better answers.

"Anna… we're friends." She says, clearly sad and hurt. "I'd never even kiss you without your permission. Nothing changed." She pleads desperately.

"That's not… I'm not worried about that." I bring myself to say while turning towards her. "I-it's just… I never even consider the mere possibility before."

"Of a woman liking another woman?" She asks sounding more like her sarcastic self. "What's so shocking about that?"

"I… I think I may be…" I pause, unable to say any of the words.

"Lesbian?" She provides. I nod.

"How… How did you find out?" I ask, hoping that her answer would help me. She sighs while resting her back at the wall by my side.

"It's a long story."

"We have all night." I answer. She chuckles.

"Fine. I'll tell you." Suddenly her giggling stops and she becomes more serious. "It all started about six years ago, when I was twelve. It was my first year of middle school, so I had to make new friends. There was a girl who was beautiful as a flower and strong as thunder, and her name was Helen." Meg sighs. "She was also gentle and had a heart of pure gold, and it didn't take long before we both were the best friends ever. After a couple of years, I started to feel a strange attraction towards her; she was the only person I ever thought about, and I just wanted to hug her and… _kiss_ her all the time. I was no fool. I knew I had fallen in love, but as you, I was confused and didn't think it was right at all. One day, I talked to her about how I felt, and guess what?" She smiled. "She felt the same. That day we kissed and suddenly it all fell into place, and we accepted our sexuality with open arms. "

"What happened then?" I ask, really interested in the story.

"We became official girlfriends and kept dating for over a year, even after entering High School. However, that was when I met Hans, Snow, Aurora and Cinderella. They came and offered us the opportunity to be their friends, to be part of the 'High school royalty'." She sighed. "Of course, to get into the club, we'd have to stop being girlfriends because 'Dykes aren't allowed'." She mocked Snow's voice. "As you may know, Snow is very homophobic, so she asked just because Hans wanted us near him so he could ogle at our bodies."

A dreading sensation starts to rise inside me, anticipating what was going to come next.

"Y-you agreed… Right?" I ask, even though I don't want to hear the cruel truth.

"No, neither of us did. I loved her way more than I wanted social status." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding at her words, but there was still something that didn't make sense.

"Then how did you end up being their friend?"

"They started bullying us and putting all the school against us." She sighs. "It was not only as some sort of revenge, but also to pressure us into accepting being part of their group. I wasn't that affected from it, but Helen wasn't that strong, and I had to see how she became sadder every day." She took a deep breath. "That's when I made a harsh decision; I joined their group to protect her, but she didn't understand, she told me I was betraying her and, soon after, moved to Greece with her family. I never saw her again." She sighs, lowering her head in shame, her voice heavy with sadness. I know her, though; she won't cry even if her heart is breaking at the memories.

I hug her to comfort her and she hugs me back tightly. After a few moments however, she breaks the embrace.

"Are you alright?" I ask concerned.

"It happened a long time ago. It doesn't matter anymore." She says with a hardened tone, and I know she is trying to hide her true feelings, however I don't pry because I know she'd only become sadder. I decide to change the subject.

"So you discovered your sexuality after a kiss, right?" She nods. "That explains why I'm not entirely sure yet. I haven't kissed a woman."

"Oh. Do you wanna try?" She asks with a suggestive tone and slowly approaching to me. "Hopefully it'd take away any doubts you may have." She takes a strand of my hair and places it being my ear, brushing my cheek in the process making me blush and swallow loudly as butterflies appear on my stomach.

She places her other hand on my other cheek and leans in for a kiss. My heart rate becomes faster, like _way_ faster, as I close my eyes and wait for her lips to touch mine. When it happens, it's like an explosion of emotion running through my body in the most pleasurable way. This is how my first kiss should've been; it's perfect, absolutely perfect, and her lips are so soft and gentle over mine… it feels very different from Hans' kisses, even if it's actually the same action, and for the first time, a hunger surges within me. I want more.

I let out a soft moan as I grab Meg's shoulders and she instantly presses her tongue against my lips, actually asking for permission (something Hans never does), which I gladly grant her, and for once I don't feel repulsion as a foreign saliva mix with mine and a soft tongue explores every corner of my mouth.

Meg pulls away sooner that I'd have liked her to and stares into my eyes, while we both breathe heavily.

"Did you like it?" She asks.

I prefer let the actions speak themselves, so as I spot a couch near us, I kiss her, this time more fervently, while I push her towards it. My plan was to lay on top of her in there and make out, but when her legs hit the edge of the couch, she ends the kiss and pushes me to down into the couch as she straddles me and resumes our passionate intercourse.

For some blissful minutes, the world stops its course as we kiss and touch and bite. The pleasure that runs through my body is the most wonderful think I've ever experienced (yes, it's even better than eating chocolate), and when I touch her delicate curves, it just feels so _right_, like it was meant to be. There's also a burning feeling within my legs that begs me to continue, to go further, and I really want to comply. However, when she starts kissing my neck, my brain stops functioning correctly, and the image of a certain blonde appears on my mind just as Meg bites me, making all my inhibitions disappear in the blink of an eye.

"Oh Els…" I moan. I try to stop myself before it is too late, but Meg has already heard me. She freezes for a few moments and then rises her head to look directly at my eyes, which are currently fill with remorse and anger towards myself.

"Good way to kill the mood, feisty pants." She says sighing and getting off of me. I sit on the couch feeling utterly frustrated and she sits at my side, with a defeated pose and looking at the floor.

"Sorry." I softly apologize. "I didn't mean to."

"I know." She sighs again. "It just came naturally because you have a crush on the girl. I didn't want to accept it, but… now I see the truth." Her voice turns sad and disappointed, and I think I know why.

"You didn't just kiss me because you wanted me to realize my true sexuality, did you?" I ask, but she stays quiet. "You have a crush on _me_." She just nods. I place a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "I'm sorry… but I-I didn't choose who to fall for. I-I mean, you're a wonderful person, and I love you… as friend, alright, but if I _could_ choose someone to fall in love with, that would be you." I reassure her, I don't want her to feel bad, just as I don't want this to separate us.

"I-I know." She says softly. "The way you devoured my lips proves it." She turns to me and smirks mischievously, but her smile instantly falls. "I know it didn't mean anything for you, though." She adds. "I don't blame you for that. Don't worry about me."

"But…" I try to protest.

"Anna, I must be honest with you. I don't really like Elsa and I'd prefer it if you didn't even go near her." The sincerity and harshness of her words surprise me and I'm left without words. "But… that's not my decision to make." She admits. "I would like to be enough for you, but if you're happy with Elsa, then, as your friend, I will be by your side." She casts a sad smile to me.

"Thanks, Meg." I say as I hug her. "That means a lot to me."

We keep hugging for a while as we both comfort each other, and in her embrace I find hope and love. Finally, she breaks the hug.

"Well, I think this has been too much for one night." She says. "Wanna go back to sleep?"

"I'm not tired yet." I protest, but a yawn contradicts me. I rub my eyes trying to push away the slumber, but no use.

"Come on, let's go." She says as she helps me stand up. Then we both walk to the room and I instantly fall on the bed like a sack of rocks. I hear Meg giggling, but she jumps at my side anyways. "Can I cuddle you or would that be too much?" She asks.

"Go ahead, I don't mind." I say yawning again. In that moment, I feel slim arms surrounding my waist. "Just don't touch anything you shouldn't." I joke.

"I can't promise anything." She answers and the smile can be heard in her voice. I giggle softly.

"Goodnight." I say.

"Before you fall asleep completely…" She starts. "Let me tell you something: If you really want that girl, go for it. Don't let anyone stop you, not even me… or Hans." I tense at this last statement. I know she's right; he won't just accept one 'I'm lesbian, sorry' and let me go. "However. "She continues, sensing my stress. "If you want her as your girlfriend, I have to give her my consent; get to know her to make sure she's good enough for you. "

"She is, don't worry." I answer.

"Well, but if she breaks your heart, I will beat the shit out of her." We both giggle at her statement.

"That won't be necessary." I assure her.

"Fine. Goodnight."

"'night." I say before drifting into a land of beautiful dreams, all bout a certain blonde with the kindest heart in the world.


	9. All I want for Christmas is you

**Chapter 9. All I want for Christmas is you.**

"... but Anna, true love doesn't exist, stop saying nonsense."

"Fine if you want to believe that I don't care, but I'm telling you that I don't want to be your friend with benefits anymore, I want _love_." I say exasperatedly. I've been arguing with Hans over phone for more than two hours now, and he still doesn't accept my decision of being just friends. I knew it wouldn't be easy, even less if I don't tell him my true reasons, but I don't want him to know the truth; it would only be bad for Elsa.

"You wouldn't be able to endure even two weeks without being my friend with benefits. You'll come to me begging to suck my cock before the first day ends." He says confidently. I know he's smirking. I wanna puck… however, I can take advantage from this.

"Fine, if you're _so_ confident, let's make a bet." I say. "We'll take a one-month break from being friends with benefits. If by end I haven't come to you begging for anything normal friends shouldn't do, like kissing or other… _things_, then we'll cancel the benefits forever." There's a tense silence at the other end of the line, but Hans quickly clears his throat and speaks again covering his insecurities. I smile.

"Forever, huh? That sounds drastic. But you're losing your time, you couldn't live without me and you know it."

"What? Are you afraid that I could actually resist your charm?" I mock.

"Alright, I'll take the bet." He quickly says. "But if we even _kiss_ during that month, then you'd have to let me fuck you."

I shiver in disgust. Did he really have to say that? Anyways, there's no way on earth I'm letting that happen.

"Deal." I say with more confidence than I'm feeling.

"Well then, the month will start after winter break. See you."

He hangs up and I sigh in relief. I think it all went well after all… well, more or less, I wasn't expecting to make a bet, but I'm pretty sure I can win. Whatever, enough of this. Today is a really special day, the day I've been waiting since last time I saw Elsa, and I'm proud to say that this time I actually have an elaborated plan to win her heart, and I'm positive that it'll work… If she's lesbian, that is.

The first part of that plan is to braid my hair, since she said she likes it that way, and wear provocative clothes. But that's only about appearance. About personality I guess I'll just have to act like the last time, since she seemed to enjoy being with the real me… only more seducing. If I actually manage to figure out how to be seducing. The second part is a series of surprises, including mistletoe. Never forget mistletoe.

Just as I'm finishing the last touches of my appearance, like making sure for the hundredth time that my skirt doesn't have even a single wrinkle, the doorbell rings and I run downstairs to meet my beautiful blonde, almost crashing with the butler in the rush to open the door myself. As I reach it, I try to calm myself, take a couple of deep breaths and place a hand on the doorknob.

_Okay Anna, you can do it. You were born ready._

With that thought in mind, I open the door in one swift motion to be faced with the shy expression of a gorgeous girl. The sight makes me blush madly and my mind stops functioning altogether. It seems that now that I'm fully aware of my true feelings and preferences, the effect Elsa has on me has been doubled. I know that right now I'm openly ogling her, but I can't do anything about it, I mean, she's so beautiful it should be a crime! Seriously, and even more today that she has a wonderfully happy expression and hopeful eyes, and don't even make me start talking about the blush adorning her cheeks… gosh, she's cute! I just wanna jump over her.

_Easy Anna, you don't want to scare her away. One step at time._

I clear my throat hoping to find my voice before this turns awkward.

"H-hi." I stutter with a little smile while raising my hand as greeting.

"Hi." She almost whispers as her shoulders come slightly up in an overly cute and shy movement that makes me stare at her almost drooling for a few moments before I realize my mistake and try to cover it up with rambling. _Lots_ of rambling.

"W-wanna come in? Well, of course you wanna come in, why else would you be here? I mean, if you wanted to stay out on the snow, you could've done it anywhere, not in front of my house… unless you wanted to stalk me. N-not that I think you're a stalker, on the contrary, I am more the stalker type, like I could easily get obsessed with you… o-or someone else really, n-not precisely you, just… Ugghh!" I scream in frustration at my incompetence on keeping my mouth shut as I cover my overly flushed face with my hands, and I feel even more embarrassed as I hear a soft laughter that, in other circumstances would've been the most beautiful sound on the world.

Suddenly I fell soft hands taking mine off my face and a gentle voice saying:

"Hey, it's okay. I know what you meant to say." There's still a hint of amusement on her voice, but at least she's not laughing anymore. "And yes, I wanna come in."

I nod, still incapable of looking at her eyes, and afraid of opening my mouth and embarrass myself again, so I just lead her inside and upstairs to my room. It isn't until we're both inside that I remember the reason I wanted to open the door in the first place; there was mistletoe at the doorframe. I want to face palm myself. If I mention it now it'd be awkward because my true intentions would be obvious. I suppose I'll have to wait until it's time for her to leave.

For now I'm putting on action the rest of my plan.

"You have a nice room. It's very… large." She says while admiring everything.

"Uh… thanks." I say. "It's like every room, really." Seriously, I don't see anything special about my room, at least nothing worth taking about.

In that moment, she approaches to my nightstand, apparently because something caught her attention, but there's nothing there except my cellphone, a book, a stuffed snowman and… crap!

"Is this my headband?" She asks while picking said object. I instantly feel goosebumps appearing on my skin and a not very pleasurable sensation on my stomach. Why didn't I hide that stupid object?

"Uh… eh… he he." I stammer and laugh nervously not knowing what to say. Lying would be useless, but I don't want to say the truth; I don't want her to remember that day. "Y-y-yes." I finally say. "I-I wanted to give it to you, really, but…" I sigh remembering what happened. "Hans… he b-broke it a-and I tried to repair it but it didn't end up well, so… yeah." I sigh again and lower my head. I just hope she forgives me.

"You kept it this whole time?" She asks, but I can't distinguish the emotion expressing trough her voice.

"Yes. It-it reminds me of you." I want to take back my words because I'm aware that it sounded way too cheesy, but I know the only thing I can do is to blush even more and apologize. "S-sorry… I told you I was the stalker type."

"I-its okay." She says. "I think it's… cute." I dare to look at her, only to find her eying intently at the headband, while her hands clutch it tightly and very close to her chest, as if it was very special for her.

"You can have it, if you want." I force myself to say. I don't want to give up on the only thing I have of her, but it's hers after all; I only _stole_ it. "It seems to be very important for you."

"Yeah…" She seems to be deep in thought. "Someone gave it to me, someone I l-loved… a lot." I feel a pang of pain on my heart. Which kind of love she's talking about? Romantic love? Was it a boyfriend? Girlfriend? She seems to still love them, if the tears appearing on her eyes are some indication.

"Who was this person?" I ask, despite the voice in my head telling me not to.

"I… It doesn't matter. It was a long time ago." She says placing the headband back on my nightstand so quickly that you'd think it was burning her hands. "A-and no, I don't want it back. You can do whatever you want with it."

_Burn it!... No, it's Elsa's now. It doesn't matter who gave it to her, that headband is an important part of the girl and that's enough reason to keep it. _

"Okay, uh…" What was the next part of my plan again? Oh, right! The gift. "I have a present for you, a birthday present." I walk to my closet and produce a small box wrapped in blue paper from it. Then I return with Elsa and hand it to her. "Here."

"T-thanks." She answers taking it. "You really didn't have to."

"Nonsense, we're friends now. Friends usually give each other presents." She keeps staring at it as if she couldn't believe it is real. I giggle. "You can open it, y'know? I promise it won't explode or something." I joke.

She carefully opens the box and extracts the pair of blue earrings from it, looking at them in amazement.

"Oh Anna, they are so beautiful." She says sincerely, joy clearly on her voice and her eyes brightening as I've never seen before.

_Yes, it worked! One point for Anna!_

"I'm glad you like them." I say smiling.

"I do, I do like them very much, but…" Her smile suddenly disappears and her look becomes sad and tormented. "I-I… I don't deserve them."

_What?!_

"What?! Why'd you say that? Of course you deserve them."

"No, I don't." She sighs casting down her eyes.

"I dare you to tell me one single reason for not deserving a simple pair of earrings."

"I-I…" She stops what she was going to say, clearly thinking intently with a frown on her face.

"See? Not even a reason. They are yours and you deserve them so don't protest." I say firmly, but she still seems unsure. "Unless you don't really liked them?" I half-ask, worried that she doesn't quite like her present and is only too polite to tell me.

"No, I do." She exclaims so eagerly I have no doubts that she's telling the truth.

"Then you'll take them and don't protest anymore, am I clear?"

"F-fine. Thank you." She says smiling, but it's a sad smile, and it hurts me to see her like this. It was supposed to be a happy day after all.

"Put them on so I can see how they look, will you?" I request in an attempt to bring back that happy side of her. She does as I told and I lead her gently to where my mirror is. "See how beautiful you are?" I say sincerely as we both admire her reflection (my head placed comfortably on her shoulder).

"Do you mean it?" She asks while turning to look at me.

"Yes, I do." I say smiling and turning to gaze at her. "And those earrings complement your eyes very nicely."

"T-thanks." She says softly while her cheeks turn a nice shade of red and a smile appears on her lips, a real one.

_I was able to make her smile! Yes, another point!_

"Come on, I want to show you my house and then maybe we could build a snowman?" I ask hopefully, my head still laying on her shoulder.

"I'd love it." She answers truthfully.

"Good, what are we waiting for?" I exclaim excitedly getting off her shoulder but taking hold of her hand and dragging her out of my room.

* * *

I showed her all my house and my favorite places in it, like the couch in front of Joan D'arc, my best friend as I grew. I even introduced them to each other, though Elsa looked at me as if I were crazy for telling her that my best friend is a painting, but whatever. After that we ate something and then we went outside to build a snowman very similar to the first one and have a snowball fight. It was fun, but unfortunately it was so cold that I had to put on a sweater (I should've wear a jacket but it doesn't show my body) which hided my cleavage and, on top of that, was so thin that had me shivering the entire time. Elsa was smiling all the time, though, so it was worth it.

Right now we're going inside the house again, trying to get rid of the snow at the entrance. We're both wet and cold though, so Elsa takes off her sweater and I change into warmer (though less sexy) clothes that consist on a pair of blue jeans and a light-magenta and purple striped sweater. Once I'm done, I get out of my room and tell Elsa to follow me downstairs where the next surprise is prepared… well, kind of. We'll have to prepare it.

"Anna, why are we on the kitchen?" She asks as we arrive to said room.

"Because you're going to help me bake some cookies." I answer grinning.

"Am I now?" She asks raising an eyebrow.

_God, I love when she does that, she looks so sexy!_

"Yes, you are." I say crossing my arms over my chest.

"Alright." She says chuckling. "Care to show me how?"

"Uhm… I kinda don't know how to make cookies." I state. She looks at me with disbelief. "B-but I have a recipe." I extract it from my pocket and show it to her.

"Ginger cookies?" She says as she takes the recipe and examines it. "Very Christmassy of you."

"Well, Christmas Eve is tomorrow, so…"

"Do you have all the ingredients?"

"Of course, I thought of everything." I say proudly.

"Fine, let's do it." She smiles at me. "Though I have to warn you; this is the first time I'm going to bake something."

"Don't worry, this is my first time too. We can learn together. "Suddenly I blush at my own words."

_Wait what? That sounded too suggestive, like I was talking about another type of first time… No, I'm probably just overthinking it._

"A-alright." She stutters blushing. "Let's do it."

"Fine." I lean on her shoulder to look at the recipe she's holding and read the first instructions. "What about I sift the flour and the other powdery ingredients while you beat the butter?"

"Sounds good."

I smile at her and quickly go retrieving a bowl and big spoon for Elsa and another bowl and a sieve for me. Soon we start working side by side, and I may say that I'd never imagined sifting flour could be so entertaining; I'm making it "snow" in the bowl, forming mountains and volcanoes and watching how my creations crumble when they are too tall. I'm constantly giggling, but I don't know if it's because of the flour or because I'm too joyful for having Elsa with me… probably the last.

I turn to see my precious blonde… ehm I mean Elsa, who is struggling with the butter which apparently is too cold and, therefore, too hard, but she isn't complaining in the least, even if it's obvious that she's too weak for the task. I roll my eyes, she's too proud to ask for help.

"Hey, need some help?" I ask.

"I-I'm fine." She really doesn't know how to lie. "Just do what you were doing, I can handle this."

"Come on, let me help you." I say gently while I practically hug her from behind to grab the spoon with which she was trying to beat the butter and start moving it to see if I can be more successful than Elsa in the task. The sensation of her back pressed to my front is… overwhelming, and the scent I can smell from my position at her shoulder (my new favorite spot to lean my head) is intoxicating, but I force myself to concentrate on what I'm supposedly doing.

As I thought, the butter is too hard, even for me (and I consider myself a strong person), so I think it would be better to do it with a beater… actually, why didn't I think of that in the first place?

"Hold on." I say and (reluctantly) let go of her to collect said device. Once I return, I place it on the table, connect it and give it to Elsa. "There you are." I smile and watch as she carefully turns it on and starts moving it around the bowl to make the butter softer.

I keep staring, she's sooooo beautiful, seriously how is that I never before realized I had a crush on her? I mean, I even thought I liked Hans! _Hans_ for God's sake! His beauty doesn't even come close to Elsa's and let's not talk about his personality or intentions. Elsa is just so pure and gentle, and I know she'd never take advantage of me or demand me to be something I'm not.

"Anna? Weren't you sifting the flour?" She asks and starts giggling when I blink confused and blush because I know she caught me staring. "I think you drifted off for a while."

"I-I already finished." I say quickly and think on an excuse. "I-I was waiting for the butter to be completely beaten to pour the sugar."

"Oh." She says. She sounds disappointed? Why? "Right… uh, I think it's ready, if you want, you can pour the sugar now."

"Right. Sugar. I'll do it." I say as I rush to get the sugar and slowly pour it into the bowl while Elsa mixes them with the beater. Once it's done, I also pour the vanilla and ask Elsa to turn off the beater. She does so and I introduce my finger to the mixture just to take it into my mouth and lick it. I can't help a moan escaping from my mouth at the amazing taste. "Oh my God! Elsa, this is delicious." I say then taking another bit of the substance with my finger and experiencing the amazing taste again, this time closing my eyes and moaning even louder. "You should seriously try it."

"Oh… Okay." She answers taking a portion of the mixture also with her finger and placing it carefully, almost elegantly (if that was even possible) into her mouth, closing her eyes. Suddenly she moaned almost… sexily? As she took out her finger and opened her eyes. "You're right." She smiles. "This is wonderful."

"And it's not even finished." I say as I smile back still blushing because of the sound she made just moments before. "C-come on, let's continue."

She turns on the beater as pour the flour inside the bowl slowly, the powdery substance promptly mixing with the other ingredients. Once it's done, I add the ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon… more than necessary. I actually pour more than five spoonfuls of cinnamon there.

"Anna! What are you doing? The recipe says only two and a half spoons!" Elsa exclaims cutely worried and turning off the beater in an attempt of preventing the cinnamon to mix with the rest of the ingredients. "You almost poured the whole tin!"

"But I didn't!" I say smiling playfully, but she just pouts and glares at me.

"We have to follow the recipe if we want…"

"Oh, come on! Don't be such a killjoy." I cut her off rolling my eyes. "The recipes are just to guide us, we don't have to follow them word by word."

"But…"

"Relax. The world is not going to end just because I didn't follow a simple instruction." I chuckle, but she just frowns.

"Instructions are important." She says more seriously. "Mostly when they come from someone who knows better than you."

_"__No one_ knows better than the great Anna Summers… not about cookies anyway." I smirk, hoping to make her giggle with my joke, but she keeps frowning. "Oh, c'mon!" I exclaim. "Drop that worried face, it's just a little bit of cinnamon!"

"Why?" I tilt my head questioningly. "Why did you do it if the recipe said otherwise? Just to prove you could?"

"Of course not." I roll my eyes. "I did it because I like cinnamon."

"B-but they are supposed to be _ginger_ cookies, not cinnamon cookies!

"So? Cinnamon tastes better." I answer matter-of-factly.

"I actually prefer gingers…" I blush at her words and her eyes widen as she realizes what she said. "I mean ginger!" She quickly corrects herself, blushing badly and making me somewhat disappointed. I can't say I didn't know what she really meant, considering the context, but a part of me hoped she wasn't really talking about spices.

"Fine." I sigh. "I'll pour a little more of ginger if you want."

"N-no, they will be too spicy." She says taking the spices away from me. "They'll just have to be cinnamon-ginger cookies." The smile I love so much returns to her face and I happily mirror it.

"Fine, let's get this over with then."

* * *

Making the cookies' figures wasn't easy, but it _was_ funny, since we made them with a mold (well, two; one female and the other male) but the dough was too sticky and the cookies sometimes broke when we lifted them to put them on the baking sheet. There was a lot of giggling and smiling, and at the end the cookies were safely placed inside the heated oven (I asked a servant to turn it on, since with my clumsiness I'm sure I would've exploded the house or something) and now we just have to sit and wait for them to be ready… at least that was what Elsa thinks; I have another plan.

"Sooo…" I say just as we sit at the living room. "What should we do while the cookies are in the oven?"

"I-I don't know." She answers looking away shyly. "What do you want to do?" I smirk. That's just what I wanted to hear.

"Well, I was thinking… maybe we could listen some music?"

"Sounds good." She gives me a tiny smile and I get up to turn on the stereo while turning off the lights at the same time so it's completely dark except for the fake fireplace and the Christmas-tree lights. Very romantic.

The song currently playing is the last I heard: 'Let it go' from Idina Menzel, and though it's one of my favorite songs, it's not quite fit for my plan. I need something I can dance. Let's see… 'I see the light', 'Once upon a dream', 'A whole new world' geez! Do I really only hear cheesy stuff? Where are the songs with faster rhythm? Oh! Taylor Swift! Sure, her songs are really cheesy too, and a lot of them are just too slow to dance, but there are some faster, like… '22'? It's good but… Oh! 'Shake it off'! _Perfect._

I leave it paused, but ready to play, and turn to Elsa, walking sexily (or at least what I hope seems like a sexy walk) and smiling seductively, eyes half-lidded. When I'm in front of her I bite my lip and, flushing badly, ask what I've been dying to ask for quite some time now:

"Doyouwannadance?"

"Uh… What?" She asks, clearly not understanding a single word because of the speed on which the question came out of my mouth. I mentally face-palm myself

"I said…" I take a deep breath. "Do you want to dance? With me?" I remark my words, this time pronouncing carefully.

"I-I… I don't dance." She says smiling politely and blushing adorably.

"But…" I try to protest.

"Please, don't insist." I pout, hoping to make her change her mind. "Maybe next time?" She says smiling in a way I can't bring myself to contradict her. She's just too… sweet and… cute.

"Fine." I sigh, disappointed that my plan didn't work… wait, I could still seduce her dancing _for_ her! A mischievous smile appears on my face. "Then you can just sit and enjoy the show." I wink at her, turn around to start the song and, even if I've never really danced for someone, I start to move as I've seen people do it on TV and movies… and some videos of 'how to dance' I watched on youtube.

So, I dance at the rhythm of the music, even if it somehow feels odd and I'm getting a little nervous because of Elsa's presence, wondering if I'm doing it right. However, as seconds pass I concentrate more on the beat, eventually making the movements more fluid, less thought, making sure my hips shake at the right speed and the parts of my body that stand up are the ones I want Elsa to notice. It also helps that the lyrics somewhat erase my fears, since they say "Just shake it off", which means you should just dance and be yourself, without worrying what the others think. Without noticing, I even start singing, first softly and then louder and louder until my voice is the same volume as Taylor's, and I grow so much more confidente that I start searching Elsa's stunned eyes to communicate her what I can't with words.

"Shake it off, shake it off." I sing. The music suddenly changes and I stop dancing since I know what's next. I then approach Elsa with a sexy walk and one hand on my hips. "Hey, hey, hey! just think while you've been getting down and out about the liars and dirty, dirty cheats in the world you could have been getting down to this sick beat." As I sing the last part, I lean in to be in eye level with Elsa and put emphasis on my words. Then, as I see her blushed face and open-mouthed expression, I gain even more confidence and decide to do something I never thought I was capable of: sit on her lap with my right arm around her shoulders as I continue singing. "My ex-man brought his new girlfriend, she's like "oh my God", but I'm just gonna shake it." I wave my hand to make the impression of shaking something off, but then I lean towards the bewildered blonde as I caress her incredibly soft face with my left hand in a seductive way. "And to the fella over there with the hella good hair, won't you come on over, baby? We can shake, shake, shake." I half lid my eyes and bite my lip looking at her appealing mouth, but suddenly the fastened rhythm prevents me from getting even closer and kiss her. Instead, I get up and, taking her hand, pull her up easily (Since she didn't resist at all) to start dancing. Surprisingly, even if at first she's confused, she quickly catches the beat and, taking my waist with her left hand (which makes me blush badly) and my hand with the other, she starts dancing as if she had been doing it her entire life… I actually suspect that she lied to me when she said she doesn't know how to dance.

Curiously, even if I've never before danced with someone, as she takes the lead I automatically know what to do; how to move my feet, when to spin, when to let go of her shoulder to take her hand… it's like it's on my DNA or something, but believe me when I say it never before happened to me, not even when I occasionally danced with my father.

I look into her eyes as we dance and see the most wonderful thing ever; they are shining, so amazingly that it literally takes my breath away. And her smile… it's the most genuine and happy smile I've ever seen on her; she's not trying to fake it, she's not holding back or concealing her happiness. She's truly enjoying it. It's difficult to think I am the cause of this feelings on her, but it's true and it makes me feel proud and accomplished.

The song soon comes to an end, but it doesn't matter. I want to keep dancing with Elsa and I see in her eyes she wants too, and that's what we do, not caring if the songs aren't quite appropriate to dance or if we're too close to move "comfortably". We just enjoy the music as it plays and the warm touch of one another.

* * *

After approximately fifteen minutes of dancing, Elsa hits the couch with back of her knees and we collapse (me on top of her) laughing. The sensation of our bodies pressing so closely is pure bliss, and I could've stay like this, hearing her beautiful laughter in my ears while smelling her wonderful scent if not for one thing; as I laugh, I don't notice how close my mouth has gotten to her neck until my tongue touches her soft skin. We both freeze, our laughter dying instantly. I can feel my face literally burning, but I don't pull back... until I register the salty taste.

"Ewwww!" I exclaim as I pull away trying to wipe the sweat out of my mouth. "Ugh, you are salty!"

"S-sorry." Comes her vulnerable voice. "I'm sweating." I look down at her and see her saddened expression, so different to the one she had mere moments ago. Just then I realize how much power my opinion has on her and how desperate she really is to be accepted. I feel guilty for making her feel bad and quickly try to bring back her good mood.

"Look, I-I didn't… I mean… It's not like I didn't like to lick you… wait, let me rephrase that." God, I'm so nervous I can't even find the words! I sounded like a creep! "What I mean is that I don't blame you for being sweaty, after all we both are!" I giggle and give her a reassuring smile, which at least puts her more on ease. "If it was someone's fault it was mine for licking you… but it was an accident, really!" I rush to explain holding up my hands before she thinks I'm a creep. "A-and I over reacted, I mean, the taste was unexpected and it caught me out of ward, but it was not _that _bad, I mean, all sweat tastes the same… n-not that I've been tasting people's sweat because that would be weird and disgusting; I just assume they taste the same and… I'm rambling again." I realize and sigh. "Sorry."

"It's alright." She says with a tiny smile, not as wide as the one she had before, but equally radiant. "I like it when you ramble. I think it's adorable." Suddenly her eyes widen and her face becomes deep red, a nice change from her usual paleness.

I can't help it when I lean in and softly kiss her cheek, remaining there for a little longer than necessary.

"Thank you." I say softly when I finally pull back.

She opens her mouth to say something, but in that moment the alarm sounds and I notice the smell of baked cookies filling the atmosphere.

"They're ready!" I exclaim as I get off of her and go grab the gloves to take out the hot tray safely, then running to turn off the oven and extract the cookies.

Miraculously I don't burn myself and manage to place the tray on the table, but they are still too hot to be eaten or even decorated… which reminds me we haven't done the glace. I turn to tell Elsa we should put hands into work when I see her utterly flushed and pulling the neck of her shirt clearly because she's hot.

"Shouldn't you take off your tie?" I say.

"What? Why do you say that?" She asks quickly taking her hands to her back, pretending she wasn't feeling hot at all. I roll my eyes.

"Fine, I'll do it if you don't want to." I say pretending it's not a big deal, but actually wanting to do it at all costs. I walk towards her as she lifts her hands to stop me. Too late, I'm already loosening the knot and taking the tie away from her neck. As I do, I notice she has her shirt buttoned all the way up to her neck, but I figure out it probably isn't comfortable, even less in a heated room and after several minutes dancing, so I unbutton her shirt, until the point of almost showing her bra… which I'm not opposed to uncover, but I bet Elsa wouldn't take it so lightly. "There you are." I say stepping back and handing her the tie.

"Thanks." She squeaks looking to the ground and blushing even more.

_And she says _I'm_ adorable? I mean, just look at her! She is the definition of cuteness!_

"Come on, leave your tie somewhere and follow me." I say. "It's time to make the glace."

She does as I say and I go get the beater, the recipe and the ingredients. When I finally have it all, I return to the table where Elsa is expectantly waiting for me.

"The glace is very easy so I think only one of us would be enough to make it. The problem will be choosing the colors." I say.

"If you want, I can make it." She answers with a tiny smile. "I'll let you choose the colors."

"Yes!" I say jumping enthusiastically, which makes her giggle behind her hand, and I go see the dyes, trying to think on which ones I should pick.

On one hand, I'd like to make a cookie of myself, _but_ I'd like to make a cookie of Elsa even more, because it'd be soooo cute! However, Elsa and I normally wear different colors and our hair isn't even similar either, so… _And_ there's also the fact that there are at least eighty cookies, and we'd need different colors for each of them. Maybe we should just make a little bit of each one? After all, we have more than enough sugar for such an amount of glace. Yes, that's the best option.

I nod to myself and go tell Elsa my plan, just to find that she's already finished doing the glace. Guess I took a little too much on deciding.

"Did you choose the colors?" She asks once she sees me.

"Yes. We'll do all of them."

"All of them?!" She exclaims surprised.

"We have more than enough glace." I shrug.

"Uhm… b-but that would be a little too messy." She objects shyly.

"The servants can clean it latter." I say rolling my eyes. "_Believe me_, they've cleaned worse things." I remember the time I let in a bunch of cats on a rainy day and shiver because of the scolding I got on that occasion… I deserved it though; the house was unrecognizable.

"Well… I-If you say it's fine, then let's do it."

"Good." I say running to get the mugs where we'd mix the glace with the dyes. I place two in front of Elsa and keep two for myself, then I give her the blue and green and I take the red and yellow. "Just a few drops; we don't want to paint our brains, do we?"

"Paint our brains?" She asks rising her brow in amusement.

"Yeah, you know; some artificial colors paint the grey matter, or at least that's what they say. I don't know you, but I don't want to have a rainbow brain." I say giggling, but she just turns around with an expressionless face, probably trying to conceal her feelings.

_What did I say now? God, she's so fragile. _

I know she probably will be fine, so I decide not to ask questions and pretend I didn't notice her sudden change of attitude. I start dyeing the glace, but I can't help taking a little peek at Elsa. She seems troubled… again, and I know that whatever it is that's making her feel bad is probably worse than I thought. And it's hurting her. I can't allow it. I have to make her smile again.

Just as I finish mixing the yellow color I glance briefly at it, take a little bit with my finger and… smear Elsa's cheek with it. She quickly turns around surprised and I giggle uncontrollably at her stunned face. However, soon that face turns into a devilish grin and I run knowing she's up to no good. However, just as I arrive to the door, I lose precious seconds trying to open it in my madly-laughing state and she catches me, smearing blue glace on the tip of my nose. I blink and she laughs out loud, almost bending over. I bet she doesn't know I'm quite revengeful and competitive. I wipe the glace from my nose with my fingers and quickly touch Elsa's face with them, covering a good part of her cheeks and nose with glace. I try to escape again, this time running towards the table, but she's faster than I thought and has no problem catching me by the waist with one hand (Which makes me blush even more than it should, since I can feel her breasts firmly pressed on my back), taking a good quantity of green glace between her fingers and daubing my face with it. I frown and close my eyes trying to get Elsa off of me before I end up with more glace on my face than a glazed cookie, but it isn't working, and I don't want to use my full strength because I know I could end up hurting her, so I take blue glace with my hand and reach back to Elsa's face. As my fingers make contact with her skin, she lets me go and I'm able to run around the table laughing and wipe my face, licking my fingers clean afterwards. She doesn't make a movement to go after me though, she's too busy laughing with her hand covering her mouth in that cute way that's characteristic of her.

"Do you surrender?" I ask smirking and crossing my arms over my chest.

"Y-y… ye…hahahah." She now can't stop laughing enough to say a simple word and is gasping for air. I smile, glad that I was able to appease whatever worries she had, making her smile again. I think I'm perfect for her… even if it's bad that I say so myself.

Soon I notice that, just when her laughter is dying, she looks at my face again and it returns full force. I'm starting to suspect I look funny somehow… probably I still have glace on my face. Not as much as her, though.

I walk towards the blonde until I can touch her flushed face with my hands and start wiping the glace off it. Her laughter finally stops gradually and she takes her hand off her mouth revealing a cute grin that makes her look even more gorgeous than always. She returns the favor and wipes some glace I apparently still had on my forehead making me blush, but as she does so, I notice a small portion of the sugary substance staining the corner of her lips. I feel the strong impulse to wipe it with my tongue but I try to fight it.

I've never been good at fighting my impulses.

Just as she takes her hands off my face and before she can react, I lean in and give her a kiss in the corner of her lips, taking away the glace with my tongue. I step back and look at her surprised and flushed face. I stare at her for a few seconds waiting for some kind of reaction to my daring action, but she just keeps looking at me completely shocked.

_Why isn't she doing anything? Was it too forward? Is she disgusted? Doesn't she want to stay here anymore? Or did she actually liked it? _What_ is she thinking?! _

I become desperate for an answer, and I'm about to slap her out of her trance when I hear a familiar voice behind me.

"Anna dear, who is she?" The soft and happy voice of my mother breaks the silence. I turn around and face her, surprised that she's here already.

"Mom! What are you doing here?" I exclaim, torn between being mad because I wanted more alone time with Elsa, and being glad because she saved me from the tense silence.

"Well, I live here." She says amused.

"I mean, what are you doing here so _early_?" I correct my question.

"What are you talking about? It's already eight." She giggles. I turn to see the clock and blush realizing that I lost track of time. I'm about to ask her if father is here too when he comes through the door.

"Do I smell cookies?" He asks with a smile as he enters, however he then sees Elsa and frowns. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

"This is Elsa, a friend of mine." I say as turn to see her. She's practically trembling and looking to the ground seeming unbelievably uncomfortable. I take her hand and give her a reassuring squeeze, to which she answers looking up just enough to meet my eyes for a second. "It's alright, Elsa. My father may seem a bit rude, but it's not personal; he's a little overprotective."

"No, I'm not." Dad says frowning.

"Yes, honey, you are." Mother says touching his shoulder and we both laugh.

"Well, Elsa, I think I haven't introduced my parents to you." I say. "This is Miriam, my mother." I say pointing to her. Elsa takes a step forward and grabs her hand politely but briefly, practically making a curtsey in the process, which makes me giggle.

"I-It's nice to meet you Mrs. Summers." She says looking everywhere but my mother's eyes, clearly very nervous.

"Nice to meet you too, but please just call me Miriam." My mother answers smiling. "It was about time we get to meet one of Anna's friends." Elsa nods and I continue the introductions.

"Elsa, this is my father, Karl."

"But you shall call me Dr. Summers." He says with his authoritative voice taking her hand hastily and not letting it go. "And just so you know, I work with dangerous viruses that I could use to kill you if you harm my baby in any way. Understood?" Elsa nods vehemently, face paler than usual and swallowing hard.

"Come on, don't be rude with her." I defend her. "She's completely harmless."

"She seems so." My mom agrees inspecting Elsa's fearful expression. "Actually she looks so sweet that I'd be more concerned about Anna hurting her." She starts giggling and suddenly my father's frown turns into a smile and, releasing Elsa's hand, starts laughing too. I, however, pale and look down in remorse.

_If only they knew how true that is._

Elsa suddenly touches my shoulder and I turn to see her face, which has a tiny smile that clearly says "Don't worry, it's fine". I smile back thankful and we keep staring into each other eyes for a while, however, the silence between us isn't tense this time, but comfortable, full of love and understanding.

The sound of my mother clearing her throat makes us both come back to reality.

"Well, we have some things to do." She says. "See you later girls."

She and my father start walking away, but when he passes by Elsa he touches her shoulder, to which she responds flinching a little.

"It was nice to meet you Elsa. Sorry if I scared you, but it was necessary; I just don't want anything happening to Anna."

"I-I understand sir. Don't worry." She barely whispers looking to the ground.

"Aright. We'll come back for dinner." He lets go of her shoulder and takes one step before turning to see me. "Oh, and Anna? Please don't make a mess."

"Dad!" I exclaim blushing and pouting. He just giggles and walks away with my mom. Elsa and I watch them until they disappear upstairs. "Well, now that the glace is ready and you know my parents, let's decorate the cookies!" I exclaim excitedly.

* * *

We spent the next hour or so putting glace on the cookies. We made ourselves (so at the end there are two Elsas and two Annas), characters from books and movies, standard ginger cookies, people we know, like Olaf, a guy from our school, with his large front tooth (though Elsa said he doesn't really has it _that_ large), Hans with his ugly sideburns… and bloody broken limbs (that I gladly ate), Snow and the rest of the girls except Meg to which I painted mustaches… with a little bit of help from Elsa of course. I also made a cookie of Meg, which, I promised myself, would give to her soon, and we made some snowmen. It was all very delicious and funny, and at the end we almost didn't want to eat any of those cookies, but here we are, sitting on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and a dish of half-eaten ginger cookies. My parents are also here eating with us, but at least my father isn't being rude with Elsa anymore and we're all quite relaxed. Elsa even started some polite conversation with them! Which is a good sign; they'd get along if we get married…

_Whoa, hold on! We're not even girlfriends and I'm already thinking on marriage? *sigh* I'm a hopeless romantic._

"… what do you think Anna?"

"Uhm… what?" I ask since I didn't hear the whole question my mother just voiced.

"I said, don't you think Elsa is too beautiful for not having a boyfriend?" She repeats.

"Are you kidding me? She's gorgeous!" I exclaim making my mother giggle.

"Thanks, but you're more beautiful." Elsa mutters shyly and blushes.

"Nonsense!" I answer honestly. "However, I don't think she needs a boyfriend when she already has me, right Elsa?" I place a kiss on her cheek and she blushes even more. Have I already said she's adorable?

"O-of course." She stutters and we both smile, but my parents throw odd looks in our direction.

"Darling, didn't you have to do something in your studio?" My mother asks suddenly. He frowns thinking.

"No. Not that I remember."

"Yes you have, and I was going to help you. Come on." She stands up, pulling him with her and starts walking away, suddenly turning her head and winking at me.

_What was that for?_

"M-Mrs. Summ... I-I mean Miriam." Elsa suddenly calls my mother just before she reaches the stairs making her stop and turn. "D-do you mind if I use you phone? I promised Kai I'd call him when I was ready to go, and it's pretty late now. I'm sure he and Gerda are quite worried about me."

_Kai? Gerda? I thought Elsa wasn't the type to call her parents by their names. Even _I_ don't do it. Not that there's something wrong with that. I just think it's… weird._

"Well of course, sweetheart." My mother answers. "Feel free to use it anytime in your future visits." My mother starts walking away and soon we're alone once again.

"So it's time for you to go?" I ask sadly.

"Yes. Sorry, I don't want to, but it's late." She answers with an apologetic smile. "Don't worry though; it'll still take another half an hour before Kai arrives."

"Okay." I sigh. "Go ahead."

She stands up and walks to the phone. I use this time alone to think. What was the next (and last) part of my plan? Oh! The present!

I get up and go retrieve the blue gift from under the three, then sitting on the couch and waiting for the blonde girl to come back. When she does, she sits at my side and stares at me questioningly.

"I have a present for you." I say while handing her the box wrapped in blue paper.

"But you already gave me one." She protests not taking it.

"Yes, but that was a _birthday_ present, this is a _Christmas_ present." I see she's about to complain again and I cut her off. "Besides, it's part of the plan I made to allow us to be friends even during school time."

"Anna." She sighs. "We've already talked about this. It's impossible."

"It's not." I answer upset. "And I didn't break my scull trying to think on a solution just for you to toss it aside as garbage when you haven't even heard it." I pout and cross my arms over my chest.

"Fine." She sighs finally taking the present. "What's your plan?"

"I can't tell you, silly." I answer with a teasing smile. "You're supposed to open you gift at Christmas, and telling you now would ruin the surprise."

"Then how am I supposed to know?"

"I wrote a letter explaining it all. It's inside the box."

"Alright." She answers with a tiny smile that soon disappears giving way to a saddened expression.

"What is it?" I ask concerned.

"I-It's just..." She sighs. "I didn't bring you a present." She looks ashamed. I can't let her feel bad for something like this.

"Don't worry." I answer. "As you can see, you couldn't have given me something I didn't have already, after all my parents buy me anything I ask." I tried to reassure her with mu words, but it seems I accomplished the exact opposite because now her head hangs low. "Hey." I say softly while touching her shoulder. "It doesn't matter because you've already given me the best present of all." She gives me a confused glance and I quickly explain myself. "Your company." Her eyes widen and she looks quite shaken by my words, but soon her gaze turns into a loving one.

"Thanks Anna. I enjoyed this day spent with you as well."

I smile and, wrapping my arms around her waist, place my head on her chest leaning into her completely. I smile even more when she puts her arm around my shoulders.

_Mmmmh she's very comfy. I could fall asleep like this._

"Do you mind if we stay like this until you go?" I ask.

"No. Go ahead." She answers, a smile expressing trough her voice.

"Thanks." I answer and close my eyes enjoying the amazing feeling of her body pressed on mine.

It's not long before I fall asleep at the soft but rapid rhythm of her heart.


	10. Not as I expected

**Chapter 10: Not as I expected.**

It's finally the first day of school after winter break. The last few days I was in New York with my father's parents and some other relatives, but even if it was good to see them (we only visit them once or twice a year), I missed Elsa a lot, given that I haven't even talked to her since Christmas, when I called her to see if she liked her cellphone. Also, I missed the opportunity of kissing her when I forgot about the mistletoe and fell asleep before she left the day of our date, so I'm really hoping to get another chance at school.

I'm very excited about seeing her today and texting her during class. My plan is so perfect that nothing could get on our way, and now everything will be as it's supposed to be… except my punctuality, that is. I'm running late because I couldn't wake up early, but I still take my time to write a message for Elsa as I walk towards the school.

'Are at school yet? I fell asleep XD'

After waiting just a few seconds, I receive her answer:

'Yes, I am responsible you know? :)'

I smile at this and roll my eyes; it's so Elsa. I quickly type an answer that, I hope, will make her smile.

'Oh, stop it. I swear it's inhuman to wake someone before eleven. I bet it was invented as a way of torture by the inquisition.'

I'm waiting for her answer, when suddenly I hear a voice behind me.

"Hey, Anna!" I turn around to see Snow getting off a car and quickly write another text to Elsa.

'Snow came. See you.'

I press the send button and put my phone inside my pocket, before addressing the black haired girl, faking the best smile I can manage and pretending to be interested in her empty chatter. It's gonna be difficult to deal with these superficial girls, but oh well, at least this way they won't bother me… too much.

I just hope this day goes fast. I can't wait for English class tomorrow, because I sure as hell will be sitting by Elsa. My Elsa. It'll be the perfect place to win her heart.

First class is math with Weaseltown, and I really want to skip it, but I can't because my parents would kill me, so I have to stay there, supposedly learning about graphics and numbers, when I'm really just watching Elsa's pictures on my cellphone, sighing lovingly and daydreaming. After the two worst hours of my High School life (well, maybe I'm exaggerating, but whatever), I go to history. I'm quite nervous about this class because… well… I'm with Rapunzel here, but since our little fight about Hans and all that, I haven't talked to her, but now that I see she was right, I think the least I could do is to apologize, and maybe we could start again. If she still wants to be my friend, that is.

I take a deep breath to prepare myself as I enter the classroom and try to calm down my racing heart. Rapunzel is there, sitting on the back and reading some book, probably waiting for her new friend, Belle (you could say she's kind of my replacement). I walk towards her and sit at her side, waiting for her to notice me, but she just keeps reading, so I clear my throat to gain her attention. She looks briefly at me and keeps reading, ignoring me.

_Well, I deserve it, I guess. Better start talking, hopefully she'll forgive me._

"H-hey, Punz." I stutter. She turns to look at me with an angry expression and doesn't return the greeting. I swallow, thinking about what should I say. "C-can we talk?"

"It depends." She says. "What do you want?"

"Well… I came to apologize." At this, she finally closes her book and fully turns to me, giving me her attention.

"I'm listening."

"Look, I know I've been a shitty friend the past months and I've been giving you the cold shoulder because I disagreed with you about Hans… B-but now I've seen that you… you were right; Hans is a jerk, Snow and the others are brainless and evil, and I was just being manipulated by them." I sigh. "I'm sorry, I should've listen to you, but I think I was just naïve and they seemed so perfect… Please forgive me. Rapunzel, you were my first friend, and the only real one that I have… the only one who really cared about me, so…" Finally I see her harsh expression melting into her sincere smile.

"I forgive you Anna. I just hope you learned the lesson this time."

"I did." I assure her. "So… friends again?" I ask hopefully while tending her my hand.

"Of course." She answers taking it and smiling. I can't help smiling back.

In that moment Belle comes in and Rapunzel waves at her as greeting. She waves at her too, but then glances at me with a confused expression. Punz signals her to sit at her side and, when she does so, my friend says:

"Anna, I think you haven't officially met my new friend, Belle."

"I think not, but I'd like to." I answer giving Belle a smile, which the girl promptly returns.

I think we're gonna be good friends.

* * *

History went great, and the hour after that even better, since I got to spend some time with both, Rapunzel and Belle, and I may say that the french girl (well, actually only her father is french; she was born here) is very nice and kind, and also intelligent. Sometimes she reminds me of Elsa a little, but of course Elsa is a lot better… though probably I'm a little partial about it. We talked about many things, but I took care about not mentioning anything about what Hans and the others forced me to do, and we got along very well.

Anyways, just after I'd walked them both to their respective class (they also have chemistry together) I started walking without really knowing where to go, and just as I'm considering going to my locker to find my books and get some homework done, I receive a text from Elsa:

'Hey, I just got some free time and thought about texting you. What are you doing?'

I smile. I haven't text her since the morning because I know she doesn't like to be distracted during class, but now she's texted me, and it makes me so happy to know she was thinking about me.

'I was with Rapunzel, but she has class now.'

I answer her question and then, without even thinking, I write another message:

'Do you wanna meet me at the schoolyard? It's pretty cold outside, so I don't think anyone would be in there.'

My plan was actually to not speak with each other in person during school time, except maybe in English, but screw it! I can't wait another day to see her, and I'm pretty sure she will accept my offer.

'Sounds great. See you there.'

"Yes!" I exclaim as I read her answer and jump around in excitement. I'm about to go running at maximum speed towards the school yard, when I hear someone calling me.

"Hello beautiful." Hans voice comes from behind me, sending chills all though my body, and not precisely the pleasant ones. I turn around to tell him that I'm busy, but as I do so, I see a pair of disgusting lips rapidly approaching to mine, and I'm just barely able to turn my head so that he kisses my cheek, not my mouth.

"Hello Hans." I sigh once I've taken a step back.

"Do you wanna go somewhere more private?" Hans asks giving me his best seductive smile.

"To do what?" I ask, even though I know too well what he wants, and the mere memory makes me want to throw myself though the nearest window (and we are at the second floor).

Instead of answering, though, he approaches to me so much, and with such an evil face, that I have to move backwards until my back hits the wall and he presses his whole body into mine, effectively preventing me from moving. I glance to both sides and see that the hall is practically empty, except from some students getting things out of their lockers and not sparing us a second glance.

_Ok, this just got pretty scary and dangerous._

"I think you know the answer very well." Hans whispers on my ear as he thrusts his hips towards mine, and I close my eyes in disgust, feeling his erection. I place my hands on his shoulders, trying to get him off me, but he interprets it as me agreeing on what he's doing. "Or we could do some things here, of course not the ones we'd do in my car, but close enough. What do you say, whore?" He continues with a husky tone, which almost makes me shiver noticeably, but I contain myself and push him back with all my strength. He's stronger though.

"H-Hans…" I say, my voice shaking. "I-I have things to do. Besides, right now we're not friends with benefits. Did you forget our bet?"

"No, I haven't. And I really want you to lose. I'll prove to you, Anna, that you are the whore I always knew you were."

At this, I get mad at him and push even harder on his shoulders, not caring if I hurt him (because his words really hurt me) but still he's not moving even an inch.

"Hans, leave me alone." I demand in an angry tone.

"I won't. Not until you admit that you're a whore and let me take you to the parking lot." He answers, and by the tone of his voice I'm pretty sure that he's smiling devilishly.

I clench my teeth, not knowing what to do, because I'm pretty sure that Hans is perfectly capable of taking what he wants by force… and in this case it's me, which really scares me, but it's not on my hands to stop him. Maybe I could ask for help? But what if he gets mad? What would he do then? Could it get even worse?

I'm about to scream, crying for help, not caring about what Hans will think, but just as I'm gaining courage, I hear a voice from my right.

"Sorry to ruin your fun, Westergard, but I have to speak with you." I turn around to see a tall and stiff woman, who seems to be very strict. I bet she's a teacher, and a very scary one, may I add.

"M-Maleficent." Hans stutters taking a step back allowing me to breathe again. I quickly move far from the wall so I won't get trapped against it again. The teacher glares at him and he corrects himself. "I-I mean… Miss. Fae." He adopts his most innocent and charming expression. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"Come to my office, we have a few things to discuss."

"I'd like to, but you see, I was busy with my friend here."

"I'm aware of it." She answers. "But I bet this girl here has some better things to do." She says looking at me.

"I do, and I wouldn't like to interfere in whatever you have to talk about. Goodbye." I quickly take the opportunity to excuse myself and run as fast as I can through the hallways and down the stairs until I finally stop near the school yard. I sigh in relief, wiping the imaginary sweat (It's so cold here that I'm not sweating even after running through half of the school) from my forehead, realizing that, if not for Miss Fae (who, now that I remember, is the head teacher) something serious could've happened today. I have to be more careful from now on; I shouldn't be by myself anymore, at least until the bet is over.

As I calm down, I look to my side and see a coffee machine. I've never been a fan of these coffees because they're practically tasteless, but it's cold outside, and the warmth may help easing me a little, plus it'd be a nice gesture towards Elsa as an apology for arriving late to our appointment, so I pay two mochas and, as they come out just one minute later, I take them (even if the paper cup practically burns my palm) and get through the doors that lead to the school yard.

* * *

To my astonishment, the snow-covered yard isn't empty; instead, there are four figures dressed in fancy winter clothes throwing an endlessly storm of snowballs to the floor… wait, not the floor, but a _figure_ lying on the floor in a fetal position. My heart stops when, as I approach to get a better view, I realize it's Elsa, and the ones who are attacking her are Snow and the others.

"What are you doing?" I exclaim. Four pairs of eyes turn to see me as snowballs stop flying towards the helpless girl lying on the floor. I force myself not to look directly at Elsa because, if I do, I may end up screaming like crazy and revealing our secret friendship.

"Oh, Anna. Hi." Snow says relieved. "We were just having a little fun with the Ice Queen, care to join us?"

"Uh… I… actually I…" I stammer, unsure what to answer. I know before vacations I would've said yes, but now I don't want to do it, I _can't_ do it, but for my own sake the best would be to agree.

In that moment I see Elsa trying to stand up and (probably) run away, but Cinderella kicks her ribs making her hiss in pain and fall to the ground again. I wince at this, even more as Cindy presses one of her heels on her back ordering her to stay still and preventing her from escaping. I want to help her, but I know it'd only worsen the situation.

"Uhm… I-I don't know, girls." I answer to Snow. "I didn't bring my gloves and my hands would freeze. Actually, it's pretty cold here. Why don't you just leave Elsa alone and go inside with me?"

"You became soft on vacation." Snow points out glaring at me, and I feel chills that have nothing to do with the winter weather. "That's why I've always hated Christmas; so many good wishes and friendly intentions make me sick."

"I-I know, right?" I laugh nervously, not wanting to get caught. "Uhm… But seriously, this cold is dangerous. You don't want to freeze Elsa to death, do you?" I half-joke. Actually, if she doesn't get in soon and keeps receiving snowballs all over her body, I'm pretty sure she will, at least, catch a cold.

"She's the Ice Queen. I bet that cold doesn't bother her." Aurora says, making them all laugh. I also fake a little laughter to not make them suspicious.

"Well, then if the cold doesn't bother her, what's the point on throwing her snowballs?" I take the opportunity to stop their torment towards the girl I love.

"You're right." Snow says with a voice so evil that competes with the ones of the villains from most movies. "But _hot_ must bother her, right?"

"Uh…" I say, not knowing what she's getting to.

"Anna, who are those coffees for?"

"I was searching for… _Meg_ to drink them with her." I lie, preventing myself from saying Elsa's name in time.

"Well, I'm sure she won't mind if we use it on the Ice Queen. And you can buy some more latter." She takes a step towards me and grabs one cup, even if I took a little step back to keep her from doing so, since I know she doesn't want them for something good. I even tried to tighten my grip over the beverage, but the fear didn't let me do it before the cup was taken from me.

Now I regret having bought those coffees.

"B-but…" I try to protest.

"What? Are you on this loser's side now?" Snow asks dangerously mad.

"Of course not." I pretend to be offended, knowing too well that a positive answer would mean the end of my privileged status at High School's hierarchy. So I harden my heart and, concealing my feelings amazingly good, I am able to disguise my sympathy towards Elsa. "I was just hesitant about the coffee because I really need a hot beverage right now, but you're right; I can buy another one." I kinda feel guilty about turning my back on Elsa, even more after the amazing moments we spent together but, I tell myself, I couldn't have done anything to prevent this from happening, not without revealing our friendship anyways. And besides, whatever Snow is gonna do her now, I'm pretty sure it can't be worse than many things they've done to her in the past. She sure can endure it… right?

"Very well." Snow smirks and then turns to the others. "Sit her up."

In that moment Cinderella takes her heel from Elsa's back and the three girls try to grab Elsa, who, despite the circumstances, is still opposing weakly, fighting fruitlessly against her captors. My fingers clench. I want to help her more than anything, I really do, however I know I can't. It's too dangerous.

After a few seconds of pointless resistance, they manage to get her on her knees, facing me and Snow. In that moment, she casts down her eyes adopting that neutral mask she uses whenever she's in danger. I bet she's afraid. And resigned.

_Help her! Help her Anna, you idiot! You said you love her, doesn't that mean anything to you?_

I close my eyes and shake my head, trying to get rid of my own voice that is scolding me. I can't do anything! It's out of my hand!

"Take this as our Christmas gift." Snow says taking a couple of steps towards Elsa. "Hopefully it will make you warm up a bit… _Ice Queen_."

As she says the last part, she holds the cup just above her head. I can see how Elsa's breathing hard and her face is paler than usual. She sure knows what's to come just as well as I do, and that it's inevitable. She's so scared and helpless that I decide that screw it, I won't stay here doing anything while she's being humiliated like this… but when the first drops land on her beautiful blonde hair and I see the brown liquid running down her face and body I'm just… petrified.

I'm shocked. I can't move. I can't even say a thing. Not when she winces from the hot and a little whimper is stifled as her face turns into a pained one as her body fights to get away from the liquid that is slowly being poured over her. I feel my heart breaking and I have to fight back my own tears. It's too late. They're doing it. They are committing the most evil act that I've seen between the school's walls.

I, once again, feel the urge to stop it, but fight against it because, if I intervene, they'd probably just use the other cup on me or something worse, and what good would that do? I'm sure Elsa wouldn't ask me to do such a sacrifice.

When the cup finally is completely poured over her and only drops are falling from her now brown-stained hair, I can't help sighing in relief, thinking that it's all over and that they'll finally leave Elsa alone. However, the moment of peace only last a few seconds.

"Your turn." Snow says turning to face me.

"Wait what?!" I exclaim taking a step back. Does she seriously expect me to do something so… despicable? "But I…"

"Come on Anna, do it! It'll be fun." Aurora says.

"Yes, don't be a killjoy!" Ariel agrees and soon all of my friends are insisting me to do it.

I close my eyes for a brief moment, refusing to let their pressure to get into my head as it's done many times before, however, it's very difficult to ignore their pleas. Slowly, I start considering to oblige, after all, Elsa's already received one cup of coffee, and a second one surely can't do so much more damage, right? Besides, if I don't do it, I'm pretty sure one of them will, and that'd be worse, since they could pour it in a part of her body that hasn't been affected yet, thus, hurting her even more… unless I drop the cup on the ground of course, but then they'd surely find something even worse to do with Elsa. No, the best is to end her torment now, and I'm the one who'll do it to make sure she receives the smallest amount of damage possible. It's for the best.

"Alright, I missed bulling her after all." I lie, opening my eyes and faking a smile.

I approach her and, ignoring the voice at the back of my head that's screaming to me that this is wrong, I slowly incline the cup until the hot liquid is falling on Elsa's hair and down her shoulders and back. I mentally give myself a pat on the back when this time she doesn't wince from pain or struggle to get away. It probably means that my plan worked and she's not getting hurt even further.

I take care to pour it faster than Snow, so soon it's all over and they release Elsa, who lands on floor with a thump, not even trying to get up after that, her gaze lost and empty, in a very scary way.

As the girls turn around to leave, I found myself unable to take my eyes off the view that's presented in front of me. This is not the girl who built snowmen with me. This is not the girl who'd blush and smile cutely at the smallest action. This is not the girl who laughed like crazy while helping me make cookies. This is a defeated girl, with a gaze resembling the one of a dead person, lying on the ground, covered in hot mocha and snow, completely humiliated and without any trace of dignity. And it's all my fault. I did this to her.

I can't look at her anymore, and instead, I run away as fast as I can as tears fall from my eyes making my vision blur. I push through the group of evil girls that made me do this, not caring about their protests as I my feet automatically lead me to the bathroom. I get into a stall, close the door and sit down, sobbing desperately, but trying to muffle my cries with my hand.

What the hell was I thinking? What's wrong with me? Why couldn't I defend Elsa instead of teaming-up with her tormenters just to save myself? Because that's what I did out there; save myself without caring what the consequences for Elsa were. I just managed to convince myself that it wasn't for selfish reasons at all. How could I do something so horrible to the one I love most? To the one that helped me be myself again during winter break and who gave me so many smiles and happy moments? I'm a despicable human being.

There's just one explanation for what I did: I love myself more than I love Elsa. She doesn't deserve someone like me. She deserves better. She deserves someone who knows how to love her.

But I don't want to give up on her. I don't want to keep the distance. I want to be with her.

Maybe I should just start being a better friend? Maybe I just need some time to change, to adapt and to deal with all of this? I'm sure she'll understand if I take Snow's side when I have no other choice, right? At least until I'm able to be the friend (or lover) she deserves.

The first step will be to apologize.

'OMG! Elsa, I'm so sorry, I know that was really wrong, but I didn't know what else to do. Please forgive me? I swear I didn't want to hurt you.'

I hurriedly type the message and press the send button, eating my nails in anxiety as I wait almost a whole minute for her answer.

Finally, it comes.

'Don't worry. It's fine'

I sigh from relief. She knows I didn't want to do it, and she forgives me. I haven't lost her friendship. She still trusts me.

_I'll be a better friend from now on Elsa, I promise._


	11. Jealousy

**Chapter 11. Jealousy.**

I've tried. Really, I've… I've done my best these past two weeks, but Elsa just doesn't seem to see that. She doesn't appreciate my effort.

I've been somewhat protecting her from my friends. True, some things I can't stop from happening, but at least I'm there to make sure they don't hurt her too much. For example, when they were planning about stealing her earrings, I proposed to better write something nasty on a paper sheet and to attach it to her back with some tape, after all, she could take it off latter. They, however, decided it was too boring and insisted me to write 'whore' on her face instead. I accepted, but did it with a water marker, so she could erase it latter. It was the right thing to do, wasn't it? And I even apologized latter in a message! But she didn't reply, and after that, she hasn't sat beside me at English… not that it matters anyways, we can't speak freely in front of Meg. And haven't really talk to each other at school except when we had to do the talk about pirates (I may add that we got a 100, even though Elsa refused to dress up as we'd originally planned).

The point is, Elsa's been really cold and distant, as she was before winter break. She's really an Ice Queen. I don't even know why I gave her that cellphone if she never answers the texts I send! Am I doing something wrong? Why can't she just tell me why she's upset with me? Why does she just… shut me out? I want to be her friend, I really do! But I can't if she keeps her distance.

These have been the worst two weeks of my life. And I'm not saying this just because of Elsa.

Hans has been quite… insistent. Even if, since what happened the first day, I've been careful not to be alone with him, or allow him to corner me again, but still he's tried some times to kiss me without my consent… and touch me. Sometimes he's succeed in that last one, but… at least in two more weeks I'll be safe. I hope. Once this bet is over he'd have to let me go and find some other girl to entertain him.

It doesn't help either that all my friends except Rapunzel and Meg (And Elsa, of course, if I can still call her a friend) have been trying to persuade me into going back to be Hans' _whore_ (Because let's be honest, that's what I was), saying how silly I am to reject such an opportunity and joking that I must be a dyke. Every time they make fun about my sexuality, I'm tempted to tell them the truth to get them off my back, but I know it'll only make the bullying worse… I may even end up like Elsa.

Honestly, I can't see a way out of this. I'm doing my best to work out my problems, but it seems like it's not enough. I can't find a solution. There's no possible answer when I ask myself how can I keep Elsa as a friend while, at the same time, not losing my status in the High School's hierarchy, but without being Hans' whore or part of Snow's gang.

On top of that, I haven't been able to raise my notes because my head is occupied in everything else.

All this stress is going to give me ulcers, seriously. I already barely sleep anymore (and sleep is sacred for me).

Anyways, today is a day just like the others. I've already seen Snow, who's told me how I must go back with Hans and her friends agreed. I've already texted Elsa a 'Good morning' to see if the Ice Queen's heart has thawed even a little today, but, as usual, she ignores me. And now, I'm walking out of the cafeteria after grabbing something to eat and heading to my next class, but I find Hans there at the entrance; waiting for me. I put an uneasy smile on my face and go greet him.

"H-Hans. Hi." I stutter, standing still in front of him, fighting not to fidget anxiously.

"Hey, sexy." He greets me with that charming smile of his… only a mask that hides his true intentions. "Where are you going?"

"To Chemistry. I just came here to buy some chocolate. I should go now." I say as I try to push past him, but he moves, blocking my path.

"Chocolate? Doesn't that has too many calories?" He asks raising an eyebrow.

"So?" I spat slightly upset, taking the chocolate and unwrapping it to make it clear that I don't care. I'm about to take a bite when, suddenly, Hans snatches it from my hands and holds it high. "Give it to me!" I demand.

"I'm afraid I won't. I want you to be in good shape when I fuck you." He smiles with that dreading grimace of his and I feel my blood boil at his words, becoming reckless.

"You are never, _ever_, going to fuck me." I say furiously, barely keeping myself from slapping that smile out of his face.

"Of course I will. I _always_ get what I want." And with that, he throws the chocolate to the ground and tramples it with his foot, over and over again, as I try to stop him but I'm prevented from doing so as he keeps me on my place with both of his strong arms.

"No!" I scream. I feel my eyes burning with tears of indignation, but I don't want to cry, not in front of him. I can't give him the satisfaction...

"Already crying?" He laughs. "I thought you were stronger."

I look at him with anger… no, _fury_. I want to hit him, to make him pay so that he'd never even dare to look at me again, but as physically strong as I am, he's stronger, and all I can do is glare at him as tears blur my vision before falling down my cheeks.

"Hey, Anna." I hear Snow's voice behind me and turn to see her, not really pleased at her presence. "Why are you crying now?"

"Nothing." Hans answers for me. "I just saved her from a few calories being added to that precious butt of hers, and she doesn't even thank me."

"Oh Anna, that's just rude!" Ariel (who is behind Snow together with the other girls) chastises me.

I sigh in defeat, knowing I can't go against all of them, and wipe my tears with the back of my hand.

"You're right. I-I'm sorry… Hans." I say not looking at him, feeling the bitter taste that those words leave on my mouth.

"It's okay, Anna. I forgive you." He says wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to him, kissing me "tenderly" on my temple.

"Awww! Look at you! You're so cute together!" Aurora exclaims, and I fake a smile for her just to return my gaze to the floor the next instant.

"Indeed we are." Hans agrees. "Shall we go?" All girls nod and start moving, while I obediently follow, looking at the ground in a defeated gesture.

* * *

As we walk through a hallway, nearly reaching my Chemistry classroom, Snow suddenly says:

"Look! The Ice Queen." We all turn to see her and my heart nearly stops. She's so beautiful. A little too cold and poised, as always, but really beautiful.

"I think we haven't greeted her yet. "Hans says smirking and (fortunately) taking his arm off of me. "How rude on our part."

He starts walking towards Elsa and I'm about to interfere, but a small voice inside me, prevents me from doing so. She's been quite cold towards me all this time, when I've been trying to protect her, even if she doesn't protect me from them. I'm not in the mood of risking another humiliation from Hans just to save her pathetic ass. Serves her well for not texting me back.

As Elsa notices Hans' presence, she walks faster, probably hoping to scape, but he grabs her backpack, keeping her from doing so.

"Where are you going so fast, Ice Queen?" Hans asks with his usual wicked tone, but she just ignores him, as usual. Sometimes I hope she could at least fight back a little, not remain so helpless. It's seriously exasperating. "Are you deaf?" He asks chuckling. When she doesn't answer, he pulls the backpack from her shoulder so hard that she stumbles and falls to the ground. I grimace a little, but quickly hide it. "Let's see what we have here." He opens it and my heart stops. I hope she doesn't have the cellphone there. I don't want him to find out about it. "Do you seriously only have books?" He says with disgust as he turns my backpack upside down, shaking it to empty its contents at his feet. No cellphone. Has she lost it? Or she just doesn't want to see my messages anymore, so she doesn't carry it?

A lot of things fall from her backpack, all notebooks and textbooks, and a paper sheet, it's very boring actually, so I'm not surprised that Elsa doesn't do anything. Except she does. She tries to reach for the paper sheet, showing some kind of emotion for the first time as she sees it fall, but the moment she moves, Hans grabs her sweater and forces her up, pining her arms against the wall and keeping her from moving.

"This is important to you, isn't it?" He asks and Elsa fearfully shakes her head, avoiding eye contact. He, however, turns to me and I know he's going to get me involved. "Take it." He orders. I, not wanting to upset him and telling myself that it's probably nothing, do as he says and unfold it. "Read it. Out loud." He commands, but just as I'm about to do so, Elsa speaks.

"W-wait Anna." Her voice is shaky, too vulnerable to be from the Ice Queen. I look at her, confused as I see the desperation on her face. Is this really _that_ important for her? What, is it a love letter or something? "P-please don't." She pleads, but I'm already glancing briefly at the paper. "Please, if… if I mean anything for you, don't read that." As she says that, I stop. Of course Elsa means something for me! I love her! But surely reading this can't cause her even more damage than usual, right? She can live with it. I'm definitely not going against Hans this time… am I? God, she looks so vulnerable! Like a beaten puppy. Will I really abandon her? Could I really be that cruel?

"She doesn't care about you." Snow interferes. "Don't be ridiculous. Come on Anna, read it." At this, the other girls try to persuade me, and people even start gathering around us, wanting to see what's happening. I can't really deny this to them, can I? It's so difficult!

_Maybe I should read it silently first? To decide if it'll truly affect Elsa, I mean, it could be too personal or it could be a silly thing. How am I going to decide if it's worth protecting it if I don't know what it says?_

So I start reading.

Dear Jack. That's how the letter starts. Dear. Fucking. Jack. Who is this Jack? Her boyfriend? She's never called _me_ dear. I better keep reading, just to make sure. It could be nothing.

The letter is quite large, so I skip a few paragraphs until I see his name again. I miss you, Jack. That's how that paragraph starts. Desperately, I skip a few lines, searching for something that tells me this guy isn't really that important for her, but I only find this: without your love, life is just meaningless. I feel anger building inside me, fueling the one I already had from when Hans took away my chocolate.

_Meaningless? But I am her friend! Am I not? Why can't she be happy with me? Why is she writing to this Jack now? Is he the reason she's distanced herself from me?_

I feel utterly betrayed, and I can't help it when I look at her with a killer stare and start reading out loud.

"Look at what the Ice Queen wrote. It's for her 'Dear Jack'" I say with a mocking tone and everyone starts laughing. I ignore the hurt and fearful expression of Elsa as I continue. "'I miss you, Jack. You're the only real friend I've ever had, and losing you was the worst experience of my entire life.'"

_The only friend? And what am I? A pet, perhaps?_

"Ha! A friend? You?" Snow says to Elsa. "I'm surprised you could found a single one. I bet he was blind!" Everyone laughs and Elsa's expression becomes even sadder. "Or that he didn't mind the cold." She makes a motion of trembling, making them all laugh even harder.

"'I wished you could be with me now, reassuring me, telling me that it's gonna be alright, that there is hope.'" I continue, not daring to look at Elsa again, afraid of what I may find.

"There's not hope for you, useless piece of trash!" Aurora says. "Why would anyone ever bother in telling you otherwise?"

"'Without your love, life is just meaningless, and I can't believe in the possibility of a better future.'" I laugh, even though my heart is breaking.

_So she does love Jack. And I thought I had a chance with her._

"'Without your love'?" Snow cites. "What is he? Your ex-boyfriend?… wait, of course he's not; no one could be that stupid, but surely you liked him. A one-sided love as it's always with the ones like you."

"No! He loved me!" Elsa protests, startling me. There's actually feeling on her words. It hurts her to be told that her love doesn't love her back.

_How does it feel? It hurts, right? Well, that's what I've been feeling every time you don't answer me._

"This ice bitch's mind is more screwed than I thought if she thinks someone could ever care for her! Let alone love her back!" Ariel states with a malicious voice.

"You know nothing!" She says trough gritted teeth, her face red and angry as she struggles against Hans. "Let me go!"

"Looks like the Ice Queen is heating up." Hans chuckles at her useless attempts to break free. "Anger is the only thing you can feel, is it not?"

"Of course it is." I say. "Despite what it says in this letter, she's incapable of loving someone, of feeling anything good. Not that it matters; no one could ever have feelings for her. I know I don't."

Then, everything happened too quickly. Elsa struggling again, Hans falling to the ground clutching tightly his crotch, Elsa running towards me with a clear murdering intention, me running as quickly as possible until I reach the bathroom and get in, and Elsa catching me at the corner, pinning me against the wall, her left arm pressing at my throat strongly as her right one drew back, ready to hit me.

I am surprised, not believing what's happening. Elsa's face, that until now I'd only seen devoid of emotion, gentle and happy, or sad and desperate, at this moment is terrifying. I can see it in her eyes; she doesn't even seem to recognize me. She wants to kill me. She wants to make me pay. She wants revenge. And all I can do is to stay paralyzed as her fist comes dangerously close to my face, closing my eyes as I wait for the impact… but it doesn't come. The sound reaches my ears, but the pain never arrives.

When I hear weeping, however, I carefully and slowly open my eyes to find Elsa crying, her face just inches away from mine, left arm still on my throat, but not pressing anymore, and right fist against the wall, just beside my head.

_Wait, what? Elsa? Crying? Elsa the Ice Queen, _crying_? _

It's an impossible sight, and even somehow more unsettling than Elsa trying to murder me. She's always been so cold, so regal, never crying no matter what they… what _we_ did to her. She never expressed her feelings except when she was in my house, and those weren't so intense as the anger, desperation and sorrow that show trough her sobs.

"E-Elsa?" I ask, wanting to comfort her but not daring to even touch her. She briefly looks at me with hatred, before stepping away, putting her hands on her face and sitting on the floor, crying miserably. I have to do something.

My heart is breaking at the sight, and I feel horrible for what I did. I guess I didn't think that trough. Elsa was _begging_ me not to read that letter, appealing for our friendship, and I just… betrayed her. I guess I was angry because of what Hans had done to me earlier, and about those horrible past days, and I got jealous of Elsa's _friend_. That Jack. God, even thinking about him makes me furious. But no, now it's not the time for this. Elsa needs me, but what should I do? Maybe I must ask her?

"Uh… Are you okay?" I ask. There's no answer. "Do you need something?" Elsa looks up glaring at me and continues crying even worse this time, pulling her hair in a painful way. Her sobs are so desperate, so heart wrenching that I'm tempted to just flee out of there before I start crying with her, but I know I can't; I did this to her, and I shall fix it.

I see blood getting out of her right hand's knuckles, probably because of the blow she threw at the wall, and I decide I should at least alleviate her physical pain.

With that thought in mind, I go to the washbasins after grabbing some paper towels, wet them and return to Elsa, kneeling in front of her and carefully cleaning her wounds. She flinches and tries to get away, but I grab her arm and continue with my ministrations. After a little struggling, she finally lets me do it, but not because she wants me too, it's more like she's resigned now, and I don't like it. I don't like the hopeless expression on her face.

Once I've finished with her hands, I get up and go to the nearest stall to get some toilet paper. I return then and offer it to her with a smile. She just eyes at it for a moment, seemingly trying to calm herself, before taking it hastily, avoiding all contact with my hands, and blowing her nose with it, then wiping her tears with the part that's still clean. I watch her doing all this intently and remain kneeling in front of her until her weeps finally subside and the only thing that reveals she's been crying are her red eyes… and utterly sad face.

"Are you okay?" I ask again, reaching to stroke her hair, but stopping in midair before I can reach it.

"Jeg vil dra hjem." She says, her voice swollen. It takes me a few seconds to realize she's spoke in Norwegian; she's never even said a single word in her first language before. Heck, she doesn't even have an accent! "I wanna go home." She repeats, this time in English after realizing I didn't understand.

"Oh? Of course!" I say as I grab her arms and help her stand up. I really don't think she can (or want) go to class in this state; her eyes are red and puffy, her face pale and full of sorrow, her clothes wrinkled and her hand bleeding. Not to mention she lost her backpack. "I…" I bit my lip. "I'll take you home, don't worry. You'll be fine." She slowly nods, looking to the ground, and I carefully lead her out of the bathroom.

* * *

Fortunately, the hallway was already empty… which also meant Elsa's belongings were nowhere to be seen. I insisted on going to the janitor's locker to see if he had found them, but Elsa said there was no need for that, that she'd see it on Monday (today is Friday), and I complied, figuring she just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

As she didn't have any money, I paid the bus she indicated me (even if she said she could go on her own, I insisted on coming with her to make sure she got home safe) and we sat there in awkward silence after my unsuccessful attempt to ask for forgiveness. I guess I deserved her silence; I really made her suffer this time.

From times to times, a couple of tears would fall from her eyes, and she'd just let them dry at their own, not even showing signs of knowing they'd fell. And I almost felt like crying with her, but I didn't; what good would it do?

After a painfully awkward twenty minute ride, we get down the bus and start walking down dirty and narrow streets surrounded by humble houses (in comparison to my own, that is) and buildings. Some stray dogs and cats being the only living beings around here.

After five minutes walking in silence, I can't take it anymore and ask:

"So… Who is Jack?" She stops dead on her tracks and I turn to see her wide eyes, looking to the ground, as if my question has caught he out of guard. For a moment I fear I've overstepped the boundaries.

"I…" She starts with a soft voice. "He was… my friend." I nod and we resume walking.

"For what I read on the letter, I take it he means a lot to you." I comment, trying to sound casual, even if I'm drowning on curiosity and jealousy.

"He… does."

_Does. Not did. _Does_._

"Oh." I say, swallowing my tears as I feel physical pain on my heart. Despite my better judgment, I keep asking. "Do you… love him?"

"Yes." She answers without a doubt, her voice shaking slightly, as if she were going to cry.

"does he love you back?" I ask, dreading the answer. She nods, apparently fighting to keep her crying at bay. Now we're both in the verge of tears. Wonderful. "T-then… what… what's keeping you from being happy together?"

"He's… not here."

_He's from Norway, then?_

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, but feel bad about it one moment latter. I'm happy about something that's making her suffer. What kind of shitty friend am I? What kind of despicable human being? Jealousy is really a dangerous and horrible thing. I can't let it dominate me. I'll do the right thing.

"Were you happy with him?"

"Yes."

I swallow, dreading my next question, knowing it could change my life forever. But then again, it could also change Elsa's for the better.

"Then, why don't you go with him?"

"I can't." There's utter desperation on her voice and a few tears fall from her eyes.

"Why not?" I ask confused.

"Because… If I go with him, I'll never be able to come back."

_Really? I mean, I know Norway is far away, but you could surely return one day._

"Come back to what, exactly?" I say instead. "I know here you're bullied, you're unhappy and don't even eat well." I point to her skinny body. "And the only friend you have, betrays you at the first opportunity." I sigh, ashamed, as I stick my hands on my pants' pockets. "I don't think that's a life worth living."

"You really don't want to see me again." She murmurs.

"What?!" I exclaim, realizing she took my statement the wrong way. "No! I… I'd never want you to leave, you're my friend! But… If I can't make you happy and Jack c-can…" I swallow to get rid of the knot on my throat. "Then I... I'll be happy if you are, even if I know I'll miss you."

"You mean it?" She asks, looking at me for the first time since we got out of the school.

"I do." I answer. I know it'd be the best for all; Elsa will be happy with the one she loves, no one will ever bother her again, and I won't have to deal with this dilemma that's tearing me apart; I won't have to decide between my love and my safety because Elsa would be gone. I'll miss her, of course, but we could surely still message each other?

Elsa nods.

"Thanks Anna." She then returns her gaze to the pavement and I instinctively know that the conversation is over.

"You're welcome." I say and we keep walking in silence.

After a few blocks, Elsa finally stops in front of a blue decolored house, very small for more than one person to live. I feel pity for her, for living in such a small place, but at least I know she didn't lie when she said her house was very small.

"I'll… see you on Monday?" I ask unsure. She nods. "Right, then… goodbye." I tend her my hand and she looks at it as if trying to decide what to do. Just when I'm sure she won't take it, however, she hugs me. I'm so surprised that I don't hug her back at first, but when I'm about to do just that, she lets go off me and takes a step back.

"Goodbye Anna." She says, getting her keys out of her pocket. "It was… nice to meet you." I look at her confused as to why she'd say that, but then she opens the door and is about to get in, before stopping in the doorway, looking back at me and saying something that catches me off guard. "Anna I… I forgive you." She gives me a sad smile and then turns around again closing the door, leaving me astounded.

I know I should be happy about it, but I can't find it in myself. It's not like it didn't sound heartfelt, because it did, it's more like the fact it felt like a farewell… like we were separating forever. Like something bad was about to happen.

I shake the feelings off and run down the street, trying to get away from those thoughts, but they eventually catch me and I find myself crying my lungs out as I sit on the sidewalk. I feel like today I lost something important, but I don't know what.


	12. What have I done?

**Warning: Mentions of suicide.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: What have I done?**

One week has passed since I saw Elsa. She didn't show up to school on Monday, or the next day, or the rest of the week. At first I thought that maybe she was sick, and I was happy that she hadn't attended classes because Hans kept repeating that he'd beat her to death if he saw her. Given that she kicked his "treasure" (Yeah, he calls his genitals "treasure". It's kinda odd). But as days went by, I started to get worried. There was always a feeling of dread in my guts and I couldn't stay still for more than a minute because I started to get restless, like my body was telling me that I needed to do something. Quickly. Before it was too late.

Today is Friday, and I've already decided to visit Elsa today, even if the prospect scares me deeply. It's not that I think she'll be cold with me or would want me to leave, no, it's rather the thought that she won't be there anymore. That's what makes me wake up in the mornings screaming and covered in sweat and tears. I always try to calm down telling myself that she wouldn't go back to Norway without saying goodbye, but… maybe she would. After all, our relationship is a little complicated. I don't even know if she still considers me a friend.

Anyways, so after school I waited until everyone was gone, went to my locker and pulled out Elsa's backpack (I had asked the janitor for it on Monday), then went to her house. I'm not gonna lie, I can't easily remember the names of streets or their position, and so I got lost and ended up in a dead end a couple of times, but after half an hour walking around the blocks, I'm finally facing the old blue house that is where Elsa lives. Or lived.

_No, Anna. Think positive._

Taking a deep breath and with shaky hands, I reach the doorbell and press, hearing the nerve-wrenching sound echoing through my ears. I wait one second, two seconds, five seconds, until my nervousness and impatience make me reach for it once again just as the door opens and a woman, approximately fifty-something years old, appears in front of me so suddenly that I take a step back and fall on my rear as I miss the step.

"Ow!" I exclaim rubbing my sore ass and getting up quickly.

"Oh! I'm sorry if I startled you. Are you okay?" The woman asks concerned.

"I'm fine, really, I've… I've fallen from worse heights." I say as I look at her. We stare at each other for a few seconds before I speak again, nervously rubbing my neck. "Uhm… I'm sorry for disturbing you… Mrs. Frost." I start, assuming she's Elsa's mother.

"I'm not Mrs. Frost." She says and for a moment I think I ended up in the wrong house… or that Elsa's family already moved back to their country, but then she adds with a gentle smile: "I'm Gerda Andersen, but you can call me Gerda." I guess she's the house keeper; she doesn't seem like Elsa at all, I should've noticed it sooner. "I assume that you are here to see Elsa?" She asks, her gaze turning a little sad at the mention of the blonde. I quickly take note of that.

"Yeah… I'm her fr…" As I remember everything that's happened the past weeks I cut myself. "Her classmate. She didn't go to school this whole week and I was worried. After all she seemed pretty troubled when I walked her here last Friday. I also brought her backpack; she forgot it at school".I say bringing it up.

"Are you the girl she visited on winter break?" She seemed to think for a minute. "Anna?" I nod, surprised and glad that Elsa told this woman about me.

"Yes, that's me: Anna Summers. Can I see her?" I look at her with a hopeful face, but her hesitant expression and sad gaze make me doubt. "S-she's here… right?" I ask fearing the answer.

"Well, she is…" She sighs closing her eyes and hanging her head low, as if something was depressing her. "I… I think you should come in."

I can't help noticing the trembling on her voice when she says it, and a terrible feeling promptly invades my entire being. I swallow loudly, fearing what is going to happen now, but I gather my courage and, legs shaking slightly, enter the house after Gerda, who closes the door behind me and leads me to the small dining room. She motions for me to sit. I do as she asks and she sits in front of me, placing her hands on the table and fidgeting anxiously, not looking at me.

"Is… is something wrong?" I ask concerned. She sighs before taking a deep breath and finally looking up.

"… Yes." She says after a long pause.

"Oh." I swallow hard, trying to get rid of the uneasiness and fear that I'm feeling, but no use; I'm promptly sweating and cold. Some minutes pass in silence before I gather enough courage to ask. "D-did Elsa...?" I don't know how to finish my question, so I just leave it there.

"Well, she…" Gerda starts, but I notice she's fighting back the tears, which makes me worry even more. "L-last Friday I arrived here after going grocery shopping." Her voice is trembling, as well as her hands, but she still continues. "The door wasn't locked, so I assumed Kai, my husband, had arrived. "She pauses and I nod, encouraging her to continue. "When I came in and didn't see him, I supposed it was Elsa. She never arrives so early, so I went to check if she was alright." Her voice finally breaks and a few tears escape from her eyes. I quickly reach for her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze, trying to comfort her, even if I feel my throat and eyes burning as I'm on the edge of tears, knowing that whatever she says next won't be good. She takes a few breaths before finally calming herself down enough to continue. "When I entered her room, Elsa was indeed there, lying on the bed." Many tears more come out before the woman closes her eyes and says the next words. The words that I know will be haunting me the rest of my life. "Covered in blood." She breaks on sorrowful sobs and I just stare at her with wide eyes, unable to process her words.

Finally, after staying a few seconds in complete shock, I realize the implications of that sentence and a chill runs down my spine as tears fall down my cheeks in rapid succession, like rivers of salty water. Promptly, I'm crying on the table desperately. I don't even notice when Gerda hugs me and I hold her tightly trying to gain some comfort.

_This can't be happening. This is not happening. Elsa cannot be dead. Please. Don't let he be dead. _

"She's not dead." It isn't until I hear Gerda's voice that I realize I expressed my thoughts out loud. My head shots upwards in the fraction of a second and I stare at her with hopeful but confused eyes.

"B-but… you said…"

"I found her covered on blood, but she was still breathing." She continues her story, letting go of me and wiping her tears with a tissue. I do the same with a napkin that is on the table, calming down a little now that I know Elsa is not dead, but little whimpers keep escaping from my mouth despite myself. "I panicked, but still managed to call for an ambulance. Fortunately they arrived in time and she was saved."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. So Elsa _is_ alive. That's certainly a relief.

"But… why was she covered in blood?" I inquire. It doesn't make sense; she was fine when I left… at least physically fine. Maybe some criminal got into the house and attacked her? The uneasy expression of Gerda tells me I won't like the answer.

"She… well, you see, she's been having some emotional issues." I look at her confused for a moment, before she explains herself. "She's been depressed."

"Oh." I simply say, not knowing what she's implying, after all, you can't bleed to death just because you are depressed… right? Right, unless… you don't want to live anymore.

I gasp and get up faster than my body can handle it and I'm left unbalanced, staggering for a moment before clutching the table with weak sweaty hands. Suddenly it all makes sense and at the same time, it does not; how she forgave and said goodbye to me as she walked into the house, the dread feeling I chose to ignore, her down cast expression, the utter sorrow in her eyes… but what about Jack? Didn't she said that he was in Norway and that she'd go find him?

_No. She didn't say that._

The voice on my mind makes me remember the exact words she said when I asked about Jack: "He's not here". Not _here_. NOT HERE. Not alive. He is dead. That's why she said she wouldn't be able to come back. Gosh! I was so stupid! Why couldn't I see it? Jack is dead, and by committing suicide she was trying to be with him once again. And I unknowingly encouraged her to do so. Fuck! It's my fault she almost died!

"Anna, are you okay?" Gerda asks as she sees me shaking so hard that I'm moving the table.

"Where is she?" I'm barely able to ask.

"Upstairs, in her room, but…" I don't wait for her to finish; I just run as fast as I can towards the stairs and up, reaching the first door and opening it, discovering it just the bathroom, to continue with the next, a spare room and the next, finally Elsa's bedroom.

As I open the door I notice it's a very small bedroom (mine is at least twice it's size) and it only has a mirror, a small closet and a bed for just one person, where a figure is currently lying, partially covered by the plain white sheets. I'm honestly surprised she's in bed this late, not even _I_ do that.

I approach to her, but she doesn't seem to notice, and I take the opportunity to observe her. Elsa has always been in my mind the image of tidiness, so seeing her in this state is quite shocking to me; she's dressed in a white wrinkled t-shirt with some holes on it, her hair isn't in a braid, but instead it is a mess, kinda like mine when I wake up in the mornings, there are huge black bags under her red eyes and her stare is utterly lost; she doesn't even see me when I stand before her.

I clear my throat to gain her attention, and her icy blue eyes quickly shot up to look into mine… and I actually take a step back. They are so… _cold_. But it's not like when she's all expressionless, it's rather a look that says she could kill me without remorse, there's a bitterness and resentment on them I wished I'd never get to see in her. I can't even recognize in her that girl I love.

"You." She snarls, her hoarse voice utterly intimidating. I swallow loudly.

"H-hi." I manage a small smile that promptly disappear when I see her angered expression. She doesn't answer my little greeting, and, as the silence extends, I think I can even see smoke coming out of her ears because of how pissed off she is of my presence. I, of course, get nervous and say the first thing that comes to my mind. "Y-you haven't gone to school."

"Congratulations, captain obvious." She says sarcastically.

"Uhm… I… Gerda told me about what happened." I start. "And I want to say I'm sorry. I-I didn't know Jack was dead and that you'd try to commit suicide, and I didn't…"

"You didn't." She interrupts me with a cold monotonous tone. "Yes, that's the problem with you: you never do anything. It's never you fault, is it?" She shots me a glare and I instantly shut my mouth. "You always think everything you do can be erased with a single apology." She pauses. "Idiot." That hurts, and I'm tempted to retort with something nasty, but I know I'd be apologizing latter, and it'd only prove her point, so I bit my tongue. "I don't believe you anymore, so _go away_."

I don't realize I've backed up until my back hits the wall and I wince, not because of the physical pain, but rather the emotional. When I came here, I honestly wasn't expecting this level of hostility… Maybe I should leave and come back some other day? No, that'd be too cowardly. It's my fault that she's like this. I have to make this right.

"Y-you… I-I… I brought your belongings." I say holding up her backpack, hoping it'd work as a peace offer. Her annoyed face tells me I'm wrong.

"Go away. I don't care about the earthly things anymore. I will be leaving soon anyways." The casual tone with which she says it, is going to give me nightmares for months.

"Y-you will… attempt it again?" I ask fearing (and knowing) her answer. "Suicide?"

"Of course, since last time it didn't work…" She sighs. "As soon as Gerda stops interfering with my death, I know I will succeed. "

"P-please don't!" I frantically say, not wanting to lose her. "Please… death is not the answer."

"Curious. That's not what you said the other day." She seems to think for a moment. "Which were your words? Oh! Now I remember: 'I don't think that's a life worth living'." I feel a pang of pain in my heart.

"Yeah, but I thought you were just going to move to Norway!" I exclaim, noticing how my eyes have become wet with tears and my throat is swallow. "I'd never want you dead. I couldn't live without you." I confess, and tears fall down my cheeks. Elsa, however, just eyes me with an indifferent expression.

"Oh no, that'd be terrible." She says sarcastically. "Who would be your punching bag if I die? How inconsiderate of me!" I close my eyes as I clench my teeth and fists and more tears come out.

_How can she say that? Doesn't she see how much this is affecting me?_

As I just keep trembling and trying to control my sobs, she keeps her attack.

"You are a hypocrite, you know that? You said you wanted to be my friend, but you'd never sacrifice anything for me, not even your social status, no matter if I was being humiliated or hurt. I don't know how I could ever think good of you. You. Are. Disgusting."

I know it's not really Elsa who she's talking; it's all the anger, resentment and sorrow she's feeling, after all Gerda did say she was having some mental issues. However, it still hurts so much that I crumble on the ground crying.

"It hurts doesn't it?" She remarks as I continue sobbing. I try to compose myself enough to answer, but no use; it's just too much for me. "Imaging going through that every day of your life. Now you understand why I have to die?" I look up trying to say something, but the trembling keeps me from doing so. "Besides, If I die, I know you'd feel so guilty that you'd want to kill yourself just to stop the pain."

"H-how can you be so cruel?" I whine softly between sobs. "I just want to help."

_I'm always doing what is correct, and this is what I get? Besides, what happened wasn't really my fault; I know I made a mistake, but that could have happened to anyone. That's no reason for her to treat me like that._

"But you always ruin everything. Why don't you go bother someone else with your presence?"

"Elsa… please… I… I can help you." I still try to get to her, even though her rather obvious (and hurtful) dislike towards me.

"Help me?" She rises an eyebrow. "How will you do that if you don't even know me? If you can't even help yourself? If you're such a fool?" She spats venom with every word.

"B-but… " I can sense the words trying to escape from my mouth, those words that I specially _shouldn't_ say in this situation, however, I don't bite my tongue in time. "But I love you." And I feel utterly exposed and vulnerable as I say this and she just stares at me with a bored expression.

"Love? What do you know about love?" She says, her tone clearly expressing disgust. "Love is about wanting the other person to be happy even if you are not, and you… you do the exact opposite."

"T-that's not…" I try to defend myself.

"You are selfish and stupid, and I wish I never had to be in the same room… on the same planet as someone as despicable as you.

My heart breaks and I feel an indescribable pain; this is not how I expected she'd react to my confession, and I can't bring myself to be in her presence anymore, so I get out of her room and downstairs in a heartbeat. As I get to the living room, Gerda gets up from the couch and looks at me with worried eyes.

"Anna, what…?"

"I'm sorry." I don't give her time to finish her question as I push past her towards the exit and get out of the house, then walking without direction until the trembling of my body becomes too much and I don't have other option but to sit and cry in misery.

* * *

Why was Elsa so cruel? I've never seen her this way, it's like she is a completely different person. I mean, geez! I understand that almost committing suicide can be very traumatic, but that was excessive! I know I treated her poorly in the past, but I'm pretty sure I never made her suffer like this, and I always apologized later. I was just trying to do the right thing, why can't she see that? And what did she mean saying "I can't even help myself"? I'm not the one who almost committed suicide. That girl has problems. I can't understand how I could ever thought I loved her.

_You realize you just admitted you don't love her, right? And that you're justifying having hurt her. And that you're just thinking on how hard it is for _you_, when _she_ was the one who almost died and is extremely depressed. It's just as she said. You're selfish._

I suddenly stop crying so I can think better. Is it true? Am I being selfish? But… but… I tried to be her friend! Even if I knew it would be difficult. And I tried to help her, I really did!

_Really? How? Staying with Snow and the others even after you saw how much they enjoy bothering her? Bullying her a little less and saying "sorry" after? Being so ashamed of being friends with the Ice Queen that you even bought her a cellphone to pretend you are her friend, when in reality nothing changed? Was that really "doing the right thing"?_

"Oh crap!" I exclaim as I face palm myself. "I really fucked up, didn't I?"

How could I be so blind?! Wait… I wasn't blind… I may have known exactly what I was doing, I just… didn't care. I didn't care because acknowledging it would have broken the image of myself I had, and because I thought I could be happy if I kept lying to myself. But the truth is… I wasn't happy, because all this time there wasn't one moment in which I was my real self… except when I was with Elsa during winter break, and I could've taken that opportunity to break up with my supposed friends that were... _are_ making me unhappy, but I was afraid. Afraid of losing the security and acceptance that came with being part of Hans gang… Afraid of being alone. Because _always_, all my fucking life, I've been afraid of being alone. Ever since I can remember, my nightmares have been of being in my empty house at night calling for my parents and then for the servants, and not getting an answer. That's why the accident that got me locked up happened, and that's why I stayed stuck with Hans even when he kept hurting me. True, I tried to change my situation by being with Elsa, but trying is not the same as _doing_ something, and using her to feel better instead of really getting to know her, was not the best option.

And even now, I'm sitting on the street, crying, as she's still alone inside her room, without having the will of even getting up, much less to deal with my selfishness (Because let's be honest, I was just _asking_ for forgiveness without even trying to understand her situation first), a selfishness that's hurt us both too much and for too long.

But there's no use on lamenting. I've never been one to stay still and do nothing, and this isn't the exception; I will get up and go back there, even if I know Elsa will hurt me and push me away again, but this time, I'll keep trying, not because I want her to forgive _me_ and to return to be the Elsa _I_ like, but because I know if I don't help her… if I don't come back, _she_ will suffer the consequences, maybe ending up attempting suicide… and succeeding. It is better for _her_ to have one more person who cares about her around, aside from Gerda and whoever else that's currently helping her.

I finally see clearly; this time, it's not about me. It is about Elsa.


	13. Making it right

**Chapter 13: Making it right.**

For the second time that day I found myself in front of Elsa's house, wondering if I should knock or just run off. Each step away from the street and towards Elsa was a fight against myself, since a part of me is still afraid of being rejected, of getting hurt, but I know that if I'm suffering now it's my own fault, so I forced myself to go on, just as forced myself to knock on that goddamn door.

As Gerda opens I smile nervously and say:

"Hi. Again. I'm sorry I left like that earlier, I-I just…"

"I know." She cuts me sighing. "Please come in, I think there's some explaining to do." I nod and get in. She leads me again towards the table and we sit down, then she starts talking, with a saddened expression on her face. "I guess you've already seen Elsa's state?" She asks and I nod again as my eyes become a little wet with tears because of the reminder of what happened. "I'm sorry, that's why I didn't want you to see her."

"N-no, you don't have to apologize." I assure her. "It was totally my fault. I shouldn't have broken in her room like that and she had every reason to be angry with me."

"That's how it feels, doesn't it?" She says with an even sadder voice, if possible. "That it's your fault, that you should've been better for her. But the truth is… I don't think it's anyone's fault. Not completely." I am about to contradict her, but she keeps talking before I can even utter a word. "You see, I don't know if she told you this but… she arrived about three years ago, almost four now, from Norway. She was alone, even if she was still too young, but even then she had that poised air, like a little adult, like she had stopped being a child long ago."

"Wait." I interrupt. "You said she was alone? What do you mean exactly? Where are her parents?"

_Is she an orphan?_

"Her parents are in Norway. At least her father is; I don't know anything about her mother. I think she got divorced as soon as Elsa was born."

_Oh. Well, at least she has her father… or had._

"Then why didn't her father come with her?... Actually, why did Elsa came here in the first place?"

"I don't know." Gerda sighed. "Elsa never talks too much, but my husband, Kai, was Elsa's father's friend, and he thinks he sent her here as a kind of test, to see if she is strong enough." I raise my eyebrow.

"Why'd he do something like that?"

"Maybe to see if she's suitable to take over his company when she grows up." She shrugs.

"His company? You mean he's rich or something?"

"Oh yes." She nods to remark her point. "He's a millionaire, pretty obsessed with money."

"But Elsa always wears old clothes and, please don't be offended, but if her father really is that rich, she could be staying somewhere a little bit… uh…" I don't know how to complete my idea without sounding rude, but fortunately the woman does so for me.

"Larger? Nicer? Probably. But he's quite avaricious. That damn man used to send Elsa only enough money to pay the rent and eat every month or so." She says with fury and a face of distaste. It doesn't take a genius to notice she despises Elsa's father. Though for what I'm hearing, that's understandable. "And that was when she had good notes." She continues. "This year she's been doing badly at school, and her father doesn't send money anymore."

"What?!" I scream, not believing what she's saying. "But without money how will she pay for anything?"

"She can't, and of course it only made the situation worse. She even left to live on the streets when she got out of money… and it was winter. She could've died that night."

I feel intense pain in my heart again. I almost lost her twice this year, and I didn't even noticed. Why should Elsa, of all people in the word, suffer like that? And why did I have to go and make it worse? How could I be so cruel? I feel tears coming from my eyes and I notice I'm crying, so I quickly wipe them. I should be strong. For Elsa.

"I'm sorry." Gerda apologizes. "I shouldn't have told you this, it's too much…"

"No." I cut her off. "It's fine. I want to help Elsa, and to do that, I need to know her." I look at her with determination, trying to hold back my sobs. After a few seconds, she nods and continues.

"Of course. This situation affected Elsa greatly, and I don't blame her. Imagine being ripped of your home, your family, your friends, your country… all in the same day. It must have been terrible." I nod in agreement. "But she never admitted it. She always pretended to be fine but… the walls in this house are very thin and… well… we hear her cry. The first few weeks after her arrival, she cried herself to sleep every day. Then, as time passed, it reduced to at least once every two weeks, but…" She sighed and closed her eyes, as if wanting to forget those memories. "When this school year started, she began crying more frequently. And more desperately." I cringe. This year I started going to high school. It was probably my fault. "There were days when she came here with a smile on her face, and others in which she just couldn't even take her eyes off the ground, like she was defeated. Those were the worst, and they became more usual as the weeks passed, until it was every day." I'm now officially rotting in guilt. "About that time, her father stopped sending money, which worsened the situation, as Elsa seemed to be more dejected and started starving herself, so we sent him an e-mail explaining Elsa's state and suggesting him to take her back to Norway, as we'd done many times before, but he just answered that, if we were worried about the rent, we should just throw Elsa to the streets."

At this, she breaks down crying and I can't help doing the same. It's all just so unfair. Elsa didn't deserve that. How could his own father do her so much wrong. I mean… she's his daughter. He's supposed to protect her, to love her… I never imagined someone could be this cruel to their own child.

"Why?" I whine. "Why does he hate her so much?"

"It is said that she killed her own brother when she was eight." Gerda answers between sobs. I gasp. It has to be a lie; Elsa is such a good girl. I bet she couldn't kill anyone even if she tried.

"But that's impossible!" I protest.

"I know. But apparently her father believed it, even though Jack's death affected Elsa greatly; she still screams his name sometimes while sleeping."

"Wait." I take a breath trying to process what she just said. "Jack was Elsa's brother?!" She nods. FUCK! I got jealous and hurt Elsa over nothing. I am a terrible human being. And a terrible friend. If I really had tried to know Elsa maybe none of that would've happened. Now I feel guilty and stupid.

"Anna, are you okay?" Gerda asks worried and I look down to see that I have my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles have turned white and my nails are piercing my skin. I try to relax them, but it's nearly impossible. "Anna?" She touches my shoulder concerned. I shake my head.

"No."2 I am barely able to say through my sore throat as I start shaking. "I… I was so, _so_ stupid."

"Don't be so harsh with yourself dear." She tries to comfort me. "There's no way you could've known all this before."

"True. Because I never even tried. I never asked Elsa about her personal life, about her feelings, about…"

"She wouldn't have answered you even if you had. She's very reserved."

"But I should have asked anyways!" I scream. "At least that would've showed her that I care, but… I am just a very, _very_ bad friend. A very bad person." I start sobbing uncontrollably for the third time this day (that must be some kind of record) and Gerda hugs me trying to give me some comfort. It's strange for me to be held by a stranger, but I can't even utter a word of protest due to my shaking.

"I'm sure that's not true." She says. "I've never seen Elsa happier than when she went to your house during winter break, and the fact that you are crying right now only means that you care a lot about Elsa."

"Not enough it seems." I answer. She's already told me the truth about Elsa, I should as well tell her the truth about myself. "I hurt her. That's why she got worse this school year." I confess feeling like a disgusting cockroach.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"It was. I bullied her every day. Even after I promised I'd change and try to be her friend." I cry even harder. But, unlike what I thought, she hugs me tighter.

"She did say she was having problems with a friend of hers, but she also said you were very kind when she went to your house. Everyone makes mistakes, and Elsa is not an easy person to treat. What is important is that you're here when she needs you most, doing your best to help her and worrying about her. That speaks a lot about how you feel for her."

"It's not enough." I protest. "I'm not good enough for Elsa."

"Yes, you are. You came back, even after she hurt you, and believe me, I know how hurtful she can be in this state."

"I had no chioce. She needs me."

"Yes, she does. "

"I'm not gonna let her down." I promise, not only to her, but also to myself. "I will change."

"I'm glad."

And we stay like that until my sobs finally stop (which was a very large time), and I know it's time to face Elsa again.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, I slowly push open the door and get in. Again, I find Elsa lying on the bed, but this time she actually turns to look at me… with such fury that I want to run away, but I force myself to stay.

"You again? I thought I had finally gotten rid of you."

"S-sorry, not yet." I laugh nervously trying to lighten her mood, but she just eyes me with a cold expression.

"What the fuck do I have to do to make you leave? Beat you, perhaps?" She spats with a very threatening gaze. I swallow. Shit she really is intimidating when she's angry. Wait. Angry? No. She's not _just_ angry. Now that I look more carefully, there's also sadness in her eyes, deep suffering and terror. She's like a scared animal, she's just trying to protect herself because she's truly vulnerable.

_Oh, Elsa… you don't have to be afraid of me. Not this time._

"Look, I came in peace…" I start.

"As if I were going to believe that." She interrupts me, but I ignore her.

"I want to help you. I'm sorry I ran out like that earlier, but I've returned and that's what matter. I was a coward for running away and I was a cowards all this time. But no more, I promise."

"People can't change that quickly." She looks to the side with a sour expression.

"True, but they can try. And that's a start."

"Only if they have a good reason. And you don't." I sigh. She really doesn't have any faith on me, does she?

"Seeing you in this state has opened my eyes." I walk towards her bed and kneel I front of her, searching for her gaze, but she avoids me. "This is not who you are Elsa, you are sweet and loving and… a-and the most amazing person I've ever known." I swallow to get rid of the knot hat suddenly appeared on my throat.

"You don't know me." She actually seems upset at my kind words, as if I had offended her. "Deep inside I've always been a monster. I just used to hide it; all this anger, aggression, sad…" She cuts herself, but I'm pretty sure she was going to say sadness. "But no more. I'm tired of hiding my true self."

Maybe, before hearing all what Gerda told me, I would've given up on her in that instant, after all, if she believes she's a monster, what can I do, right? Wrong. If I pay attention closely I can see how much these words affect her, how, with very one o them, she sinks in depression a little further… and I wonder how many times she has told herself that… how many times he others have told her that? Enough for her to believe them, that's for sure. How long? Maybe all her life, after all, for what I've heard, her father isn't a loving one. What I'm sure though, is that this is not Elsa.

The Ice Queen was always a mask, that much was obvious, and it's true it used to hide her aggression and the rest of her negative emotions… but it also hid the good ones, like happiness, playfulness, excitement… and _Love_. And I've seen all of them in her, and they weren't a farce, I'm sure. So no; this is not Elsa. It's just another mask, one that hides her positive emotions even from herself so she can't feel any hope and, therefore, she won't be disappointed. She won't get hurt. Because she's been hurt so much that she just couldn't bear it one more time.

"Y-you really think you are a monster?" I sob as tears fall from my eyes. My heart is breaking for her. I can't even imagine how much pain she must be feeling right now.

"Stop crying." She says upset, but I can't hold back my tears. "Stop pitying me!" She shouts as she gets up from her lying position, so now she's looking down at me with those scary eyes. And I don't say it because they are threatening to me, but because they are almost devoid of any life. "I'm fine being a monster; it's better than being that pathetic excuse of human being I was. Always crying, always wishing for a better life. I can't cry anymore, and I only wish for death."

"Feelings aren't weakness." I try to contradict her. "Not even sadness or pain, and definitely not happiness and love. They make us human, they make us who we are. And without them, we are not even alive."

"Good." She spats. "I'm already death inside. I just need to be so outside too."

"No." I whine as I shake my head and take her unnaturally cold hand. She tries to pull it away, of course, but I'm not letting her go. She needs me, even if she doesn't know it. "I know you can still feel, you're just… you are afraid of it, and I don't blame you." This time our gazes finally connect and hers is utterly cold, but I know it's not real. "Your life has been _so_ unfair." I continue, taking her other hand. "Your brother died, your father blamed you, you ended up here, in a strange country with no one to fall back on, a-and your classmates bullied you with no mercy." I stop to catch my breath, since at this point my sobs have become overwhelming. Recounting Elsa's life is just too sad. "A-and when you t-thought you had finally found a friend… you discovered it was all fake." I look down in shame. I wasn't good enough or you and I'm sorry for any harm my stupidity and selfishness provoked on you. I-If I could take it all back or-or make it up for you, I would, but I know there's nothing I could do or say to just wipe my actions from our past." I finally look up, gathering the courage to finally make a promise I am sure to fulfil, as it's made with my heart. "I'm not asking for forgiveness because I know I don't deserve it; I am here, now, asking you for yet one more chance to be in your life. As friend, as an acquaintance, as a slave, as… as anything you want me to be… as long as I'm here to help you."

Elsa deviates her gaze and for a moment I fear she's gonna push me away again, but after a few moments of agonizing silence, she speaks again, this time without aggressiveness.

"Why are you doing this?" She barely whispers, and I'm not sure if she's truly asking me or rather asking herself. "After I told you I'm a monster, after you've seen it yourself… Why still bother with me?" 2She looks at my eyes again, desperately searching for an answer.

"Because I know you're not a monster." I quickly answer, squishing reassuringly her hands. "You are just hurt and scared, and in this moment not even you can see the good in yourself, but I _know_ it is there, and I'm going to help you be your old self again." At this, she pulls her hands out of mine and clenches the mattress with them, so tightly that her knuckles turn wither than usual. She also starts shaking and her eyes become red, as if she were about to cry but had no more tears.

"N-no." She shakes her head. "No, I can't… I won't g-go through that again." Her gaze is lost, like the one of a crazy person. "I prefer to die!" She screams utterly terrified, and I know she's not longer here with me… I don't know what horrors she's living, but seeing her like this makes me really sad. I have to help her. Without thinking, I take her shoulders and shake her, trying to get her to look at me, but she's in some kind of trance. "Get away!" She pushes me and I fall on my rear, but I'm not giving up.

"Elsa, it's me!" I try to call for her as I push myself off the ground.

"N-no, not again." She says with anger, trying to mask the fear. "No… No more, please…" She then begs with true vulnerability that contrasts deeply with her previous attitude. "No more." She closes her eyes and hangs her head low, as if accepting defeat… and it breaks my heart more than anything. What the heck did she live to be in this state? Whatever it was, it scarred her deeply, so much that the wounds haven't healed on the slightest.

"Oh, Elsa…" I sob, approaching to her and doing the first thing that comes to my mind: hugging her. I hug her as tightly as I can, hoping to give her all the comfort that I am able to. At first she flinches, clearly not expecting the contact, but then she returns to her defeated state, not moving, accepting my actions because she has no other option. This makes me cry even harder and the tears that I would usually have cried in the course of a year come from my eyes in a matter of minutes.

I don't know how long we stayed like this, me hugging her and crying desperately and Elsa just remaining unmoving, but after several minutes, Elsa finally speaks again.

"Anna?" She asks with a weak voice, muffled by my shoulder and devoid of its previous aggressiveness, or any other emotion for that matter.

"Y-yes?" I ask between sobs.

"Why are you crying?" I stop my sobs a little at her words. Isn't it obvious?

"I-I'm crying f-for you."

"Then why are you still here?"

"I-I'm crying _for_ you. N-not b-_because_ of you. I'm crying b-because it p-pains me to know you went t-through such t-terrible things, to know y-you a-are still s-suffering because of that, and to k-know some of that pain… I-I inflicted to you." I pause and swallow. "I wished I c-could feel if for you, t-to spare you from it." Honestly I don't know if my words make any sense, but that's how I feel.

"Why are you hugging me?

"Because a warm hug can somewhat mend a broken heart." I whisper. That's something my father used to tell me every time I felt sad, and it always worked. "Two, sometimes."

"Really?" She asks, and I detect some kind of hope in her voice… but I could be imagining it. I just nod.

Suddenly, something unexpected happens. She leans her had on my shoulder. True, she's not hugging me, but she's still searching for more physical contact, and it makes my heart flutter with joy. I feel a warm sensation so wonderful that I just want to stay like this forever. Elsa didn't push me away this time; I actually made some progress.

_Don't worry Elsa, this won't be in vain. It will be a long path, but I'll come here every day… until I can heal you._

* * *

After at least one hour (or what for me seemed like an hour), I hear soft snores at my ear, and I pull back just enough to see that Elsa has fallen asleep. I don't know if I should be glad or not, because she fell asleep on me, which could have meant she trusted me enough to let the slumber take her, or that she was so emotionally exhausted that she couldn't keep awake anymore… either way sleeping in this position can't be comfortable, so I carefully lower her down on bed taking care that her head is resting on the pillow.

I have never seen Elsa sleeping before, but now that I am, I just want to lie down at her side, hold her and never let go. She seems so fragile, like the tiniest shake would break her. Also, she doesn't seem peaceful, like not even in her dreams she's happy, and I feel tears coming to my eyes again, but I push them back. I've already cried too much for one day.

Instead, I softly caress her pale cheeks, putting all the love I can in that action, before leaning down and kissing her forehead, lingering for several seconds before I can finally force myself to pull back. As I do, I notice her bandaged arms, a few spots of blood contrasting with the white color of the cloth.

"Please be here when I come back." I choke out a sob. I really don't want to lose her, but what can I do? Until tomorrow that I return she'll be here on her own, well, maybe with Gerda, but still, I don't want to take any chances.

Suddenly, I have an idea.

I search around the room and spot Elsa's backpack, so I pull out a pencil and her notebook, opening it in some random page. My heart literally stops. There, displayed in full glory, is a sketch of me, dressed as I was during our meeting at winter break, twin braids and all, but she was somehow able to portray my emotions with the utmost accuracy. As I see the drawing, I just want to beam myself, reflecting the image that's on the paper… even if I have nothing to smile for right now.

I carefully place the drawing back to its original place and, instead, take another paper sheet for me, pulling it out of her notebook and hoping she won't mind. I quickly write a little note for her when she wakes up, telling her that life is worth living and that I will be coming back to help her being on her feet again. I re-read them a couple of times and change somethings but, at the end, when I'm truly satisfied, I leave it in her pillow, at the side of her head, so it'll be the first thing she sees when she wakes up.

After that and, sparing her just one more longing glance, I open the door and get out.


	14. The park

**Chapter 14: The park.**

This past week passed really slowly. Like _way_ too slowly. I've been visiting Elsa everyday as I promised, but there has been little to no progress, even if Gerda insists she thinks she's getting better. I mean, yeah she doesn't try to hurt me every time she opens her mouth anymore… actually she treats me somewhat friendly? Well, not hostile. But she still spends most of the time lying on her bed, trying to sleep, and I've had to force her to eat at least twice, and she still says she's a monster and that she wants to die (Those words break my heart every time). I don't know… I think I'd like to see a faster recovery, even if I know it's impossible.

Maybe a change of environment would help? I mean, Elsa's room is all gray and depressing. I don't think she'd agree to go outside though.

After another day of continuous harassing from Hans (He's still trying to get into my pants), mindless conversations with Snow and the others and getting some comfort from Meg and Rapunzel, I go to Elsa's house, greet Gerda and head upstairs to see Elsa with a plan on my head. Today, I'll make her get better, even if it kills me.

As I open the door, the first thing I notice is that Elsa hasn't eaten her food, since her plate is situated on her nightstand, untouched. Gerda said she'd given it to her ten minutes ago, but she hasn't taken even a spoonful of the broth. I sigh, but say nothing, as I get in.

"Hi." I greet her, approaching her bed. She turns to see me with that tired and bored expression mixed with sadness that never fails to give me chills. "Uhm… Guess what? Remember the other day I told you I had made your homework for you and gave it to the teacher saying you had done it? Well, he gave it to me today and you got a 100!" I pull the homework out of my backpack and show it to her, hoping this makes her feel better, but she just stares at it with indifference.

"Yay." She says unenthusiastically.

"Oh, come on, smile! I did your homework for you _and_ got you a good grade. You owe me one." I say proudly, trying to make her feel better, maybe even get a positive answer from her this time… but not luck.

"No, I don't. Good notes don't serve when you are going to die soon."

"True, but you're not dying. I won't let you." I cross my arms and give her what I hope is an intimidating but playful gaze.

"You're too stubborn." She complains, showing the first emotion I've seen on her face today: annoyance. Well, it's still better than nothing… right? In that moment she turns around so now her back is facing me, which, again, I take as a good signal, since she's usually too depressed to even move a finger.

"I am, and I made a promise to you; that I'll help you get better, and I plan on fulfilling it." Saying this, I take a step forward and take her arm, pulling her to get her out of bed. I ignore her sounds of protest and continuous struggling. "Come on, I planned something for today." I say as I keep pulling.

"I did too. My plan is to stay here and do nothing." She says, getting a little angry.

"Well, sorry. Not happening." Finally, I am able to turn her around and make her sit. She just glares at me. "I'm doing this for your own good."

"Right." She rolls her eyes.

I ignore her as I go search for a hair brush to untangle her hair, wondering when was the last time she did it, because it sure is a mess. When I find one, I return to Elsa, (Who thankfully didn't lay down again) and make a motion to brush her hair, but she retreats and says:

"No. Don't." Suddenly her voice is not only angry, but also scared, which confuses me. I mean, she doesn't have a phobia towards hair brushes, does she?

"I have to brush it, or else you'll scare everyone in the streets with your crazy witch-like mane of hair."

"I really don't trust you near my hair." She raises her hand in front of her head in a defensive gesture, and I'm confused at her words.

"Really? I mean, the day we met you didn't have a problem with it."

_And I betrayed your trust and smeared plasticine in your hair… but well, you don't know that._

"Yes, but that day I learned an important lesson." Her voice becomes even bitterer.

Her words take a little to sink in, but when they do, I feel chills run down my spine.

"Wait what? You know about…?"

"I'm not stupid." She rolls her eyes. "Of course I noticed what you were doing. You wanted to impress Hans."

"Oh shit!" I can't help swearing. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. I think I was just naïve and…"

"Stop apologizing." She says with an annoyed tone. "I know you were naïve and fell in Hans' trap. It doesn't change the facts though."

"I know." I sigh. "But I won't do it again. Never. I won't hurt you anymore."

"You've already said that. A hundred and twenty three times these past seven days." She crosses her arms over her chest and looks away, and I know she didn't believe a single one of them. It hurts, but I guess she'll eventually trust me. I hope.

"And I'll keep saying it until you believe me." I quickly reply. "Now, come on, let me brush your hair."

This time she doesn't put up so much resistance, though she does try to retreat as I start untangling her hair. It's really full of knots. It's a good thing I'm an expert on bad cases of bed hair, otherwise I'd never finish this.

After several minutes of hair pulling and Elsa making angry grunts and comments like "Are you done yet?", I am able to tame her mane and braid it in her characteristic style, letting out a soft sigh of relief that I was able to comb someone else's hair for the first time, and without Elsa freaking out or yelling at me, which is good.

"Okay, so now we just have to change your clothes and then we can go to the park."

_"__We_?!" She exclaims. "I don't think so. I'm not letting you see me naked." She glares at me as if I were some rapist.

"Okay." I try to hide my disappointment. "It was only an expression." I go to her closet and try to find something for her to wear, but she only has two sets of wrinkled white shirts, black dress pants, one blue sweater and a pair of old greyish sweat pants, just as the ones she's wearing now. I sigh. There's nothing here, so I resign and take her sweater, handing it to her. "Just… put this on, alright?"

"You found nothing for me to wear?" She asks with an unnerving smile, already knowing the answer. Then, she starts putting on her sweater.

"When was the last time you bought clothes?" I ask.

"Around October." She shrugs. "I found you at the mall, remember?"

"Oh, that's right!" I nod as the memory comes to my mind. I don't remember what she bought, though. I was too concentrated watching her adorably sweet face. But then, I also remember nothing I saw in her closet was new. "Where are the clothes you bought that time?"

"Snow asked me to stay with them." She clenches her hands around the edge of the mattress until her knuckles turn white, and I know she's remembering something painful. I want to hold her, but I know she'd freak out, so I just quietly listen to her; I know it hurts, but she needs to let it out of her chest (it has helped when she's told me some sad memories these past days. Not too many though). "And I said yes because I knew they'd hurt you if I didn't." I gasp. So that was the real reason? It seemed odd to me at the time, but I would've never imagine she was trying to protect me. "They told me to stay away from you, and to prove their point they ruined my new shirt." She pauses and closes her eyes as her body starts to tremble. Her voice now sounds threateningly murderous. "You know what happened next."

Wait… what?! I mean, it doesn't really surprise me that my "friends" did that, but I did never make a connection between Elsa staying in the mall with them and her attitude towards me the next Monday. If I had only realized it then… Things may had been easier for us. I am _so_ stupid. I hate myself.

In that moment, I notice Elsa's trembling has intensified and that she now has a very dangerous expression, like she could beat to death the first person that she lays her eyes on. Oh wait… that person is me. Except, when our eyes make contact I know she's not seeing me. She is seeing her bullies. I don't have time to react before she jumps from bed with her hands extended towards me and grabs my neck. She's trying to kill me.

When I feel my breathing being cut off by her clenched hands around my throat, I panic. I never anticipated this. True, the other times she told me stuff like this, she was also angry, but never like this time. I never thought she'd try to choke me to death. I try to grab her hands and pull them off me, but it's useless. She's squishing too hard and I can barely breathe. I know I'm only seconds away from fainting.

"E-El…sa." I am somehow able to say, hoping it'll stop her. But the edges of my vision start to blur. I'm screwed.

Just when I thought I'm definitely going to die, I am suddenly able to fill my lungs with pure bliss of air. I think I never felt so relieved to feel the oxygen course through my veins. I'll never take it for granted again.

When I have finally recovered and there's only a faint pain on my neck left, I look up to find Elsa staring at her hands as if they were dangerous weapons. She's absolutely terrified, even more than I was seconds earlier (and I have never been more afraid in my life).

"Elsa?" I call for her. She looks up for an instant and then returns her gaze to her hands.

"I'm a monster." She says, utterly shocked. I want to say something to contradict her, but in that moment her gaze turns into one of hate again… only this time directed to herself, and she goes to the nearest wall and starts slamming her fists against it with all her might.

"Elsa!" I call for her and take a step to try to stop her, but I hesitate, afraid that she might hurt me instead. My whole body is trembling in fear. She continues hitting the wall and I continue trying to decide what to do until I see blood staining the gray paint and I know I can't just keep looking while she's hurting herself like that. I _have _to do something.

I quickly cover the distance between us and hold her tightly from behind, making sure she can't move her arms. She tries to fight me, of course, but thankfully I'm stronger and I'm able to keep her still… or so I think. Suddenly, I notice she has started tearing apart her bandages, trying to scratch her forearms, probably hoping to open the wounds and make herself bleed.

_Gosh, she really has problems._

"Elsa no!" I scream as I release her only to then turn her around and grab her hands, keeping her from hurting herself. She frenetically tries to continue opening her wounds, but I don't let her and, after a few seconds of fighting, she finally sinks into the floor, defeated and exhausted. I _really_ hate to see her like this.

"Why?" She suddenly asks, her gaze still on the ground and her arms suspended above her head by my hands. Her voice is hopeless and desperate. "Why did you stop me? I'm a monster, I should die, everyone would be better off without me."

As always, my heart breaks. I think I'll never get used to hear her saying such things about herself.

"Elsa that's not…" I swallow to get rid of the knot on my throat. "You are not a mons…"

"I almost killed you!" She interrupts me with a sudden scream that catches me off guard and I release her arms, taking a step back. Suddenly I hear sobs and, when I look at Elsa, I notice she's crying. Despite her depression, this is the first time I've seen her cry this week. She slams her fists against the floor once, but this time it's not to hurt herself; it's to express the anger and frustration she feels towards herself. "I almost killed you a-and…. and I know you're just trying to help." She mutters the last part, so I almost miss it, but when I hear it, I can't help feeling a little hope. It's the first time she's actually admit out loud that I have good intentions.

"Okay Elsa, first of, you didn't know it was me; you were lost in horrible memories. And second, you didn't kill me. You stopped yourself in time." I assure her, though it's a little difficult. A part of me is screaming inside my head to just admit it's her fault, run away and never come back, but I know that'd be cruel; Elsa needs me, this is only proof of that.

When seconds pass and Elsa doesn't answer, I know she doesn't have arguments against my words, so, satisfied, I take her arms and help her get up. I notice her bandages have come loose so I quickly start fixing them, as she just keeps herself still, resigned. I see her wounds for the first time; they are quite big and probably deep, with several along the length of each arm. Each one of them having at least four stitches. I grimace and shudder unconsciously, wondering how much despair and pain she must have been feeling to decide to just end her life in such a painful way.

"You're horrified of this." She says, her voice still swollen because she was crying earlier. "What I did to myself."

"I am." I admit. "But… I mostly feel sadness. Just thinking you could've died that day, and what you should have been feeling…" When I start feeling the familiar sensation of being about to cry, I quickly wipe my tears with the back of my hand. "Sorry" I say giggling in a bitter way. "I just get to emotional about this." In that moment I finish wrapping her bandages the best I can and quickly pull down her sweater to conceal them. "Come on, let's go." And saying that I take her hand and lead her out of the room.

* * *

It took a little convincing, but Gerda finally agreed that I take Elsa out after I assured her a million times she'll be fine, so here we are, walking towards the park in this not-quite-spring-but-not-winter-either day.

"Where are we going?" Elsa asks, trying to sound irked, but I am able to detect a hint of curiosity on her voice.

"It's a surprise." I reply.

"Do you even know where the place you want to go is? You don't know this part of the town very well."

"I've gotten lost a couple of times." I admit. "But that's what made me discover certain ice-… uh… I mean, the place we're heading to."

_Phew. I almost spoiled the surprise._

"So you're getting lost and hope we'll end up there?" She says with a rather sarcastic tone.

"That's certainly an option." I say and she eyes me with a concerned expression. "But hopefully there's google maps so…" I pull a piece of paper out of my pocket and read it, only to immediately realize it it's upside down. I blush in embarrassment and turn it, trying to point where we are. I look up to see the street's name and notice we've been walking in the opposite direction. "Uhm… hehe." I laugh nervously as I rub my nape. "Okay. I _did _get a little lost. But don't worry, now I know where it is."

Elsa sighs and rolls her eyes and I pull her back from where we came.

We arrive to our destination a few minutes later, and I'm quite surprised Elsa didn't complain even once about me getting lost or about having to get out of her house. She doesn't say anything else either, but it's not an I-don't-want-to-talk-to-you silence, it's more like she doesn't have anything to say… or she does, but she doesn't want to say it for some reason. Either way, I'm quite surprised. It's like she's actually trying to be better or something. I wonder if she feels guilty about what happened earlier.

We come to a stop in front of an ice cream shop and I, letting go of her hand, stand in front of her and raise my arms exclaiming:

"Here we are!" I smile, trying to look enthusiastic, but Elsa's cold expression isn't helping. It's rather awkward. "Do you like it?" I ask with a nervous smile.

"Kind of." She shrugs with a bored face and for a moment I worry that it may not have been a good choice.

"We could go somewhere else… if you want." I tentatively ask, fearing her rejection.

"We are already here." She pushes past me and enters the shop. I don't know if this is good or bad, but I decide not to question her.

Once we're both inside the ice-cream shop, I start looking at the flavors, trying to decide which one I should try. It's not that hard; the options are very limited. I go to the counter and tell the vendor what I want.

"Hi! I want a chocolate ice-cream, please." I smile and he smiles back.

"Of course, something else?" He asks.

"Elsa?" I turn to ask her, but she's just awkwardly staying at the entrance, looking to the floor.

"I don't have money." She simply answers.

"I'll pay." I state. Was it not obvious?

"No thanks. I don't want ice-cream." She says with a somewhat… disappointed? voice, and I figure she _does _want to have some ice-cream, she just doesn't want me to pay it for her, like she'd owe me or something.

"Okay then." I say and then turn to the vendor. "Make it double, please."

"Alright." He answers and then tells me the price. I pay, he then goes get the ice-cream, hands it to me and I thank him before exiting the shop with Elsa following behind me.

After we walk a few paces, Elsa finally walks faster to get to my side and asks:

"A-aren't you gonna eat it?" She is staring longingly at the cold delight. I smirk. So she noticed I haven't taken even a lick.

"Not until we arrive at our destination."

_Though it's fucking hard resisting._

"You mean it wasn't the ice-cream shop?" She asks confused.

"Of course not." I roll my eyes. "Oh, there it is!" I grab Elsa's hand and pull her towards the park at an almost running speed. I _really_ want to eat my ice-cream now. We arrive at a bench and I motion her to sit down. She does it gladly since she hadn't walk at all these past two weeks and is probably terribly out of shape. I sit at her side and take the first lick at my ice-cream, moaning at the delicious flavor. "Oh Elsa, this is great!" I exclaim.

"Really?" She says in a hostile tone, looking on the opposite direction of me. I know she's angry that she couldn't buy one of her own, but that's why I requested it double. I know she's too proud to ask for some though.

"You could have some if you asked." I say. "I can't eat a double ice-cream alone… well actually I _can_, but I _shouldn't_ because my brain would freeze and, on top of that, I'd get a cold and all that stuff, but I'd really like to eat it all… if I wasn't with you because I totally want to give it to you. Not all. Half. You know what I…"

"Stop talking!" She shouts turning to look at me annoyed. "You are giving me a headache."

"Sorry." I say, looking to the ground and feeling how my cheeks are burning from embarrassment. "It only happens when I'm nervous. I really hate that part of myself."

"No. I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." She says, more calmed, but I see in her eyes she's not entirely regretful. She's getting tired of me.

"It's okay. Everyone says it's an awful bad habit…" I sigh, suddenly feeling like crying because, if I remember correctly, Elsa was the first person who wasn't upset because of my rambling. She actually said she found it adorable. And now… she can't stand it. I decide I should change the subject before I start crying like a baby. "Anyways. Do you want ice-cream or not?"

"It's _your_ ice-cream. You eat it." She says shortly before turning again to look anywhere else.

_Damn! Does she have to be so proud?_

"I bought it for both of us, so half is yours. Here." I tend it to her, she briefly eyes it with longing, only to harden her stare and look to the ground again. "Come on, my arm is getting tired and my mouth is salivating."

"You. Eat. It."

Again that annoyed tone. I should change my strategy.

"Okay, if you say so." I say nonchalantly as I start licking it, moaning loudly and exaggerating my reactions to catch her attention.

"Can't you be quiet?!" She snaps suddenly, clearly fighting to control her desire for the sweet dessert.

"I'm sorry, but this is so good I can't help it." I say with my mouth still full of the deliciousness. "It's the best ice-cream _ever_. Are you sure you don't want some?"

"No." She says hugging herself and trying not to look at it but failing.

"Really? Don't you think you deserve to have a taste of the most wonderful ice-cream on the entire planet?"

_Okay, I'm exaggerating, but it's for a good cause._

She only bites her lip and looks down in a sad gesture. I'm slightly confused for a moment before realizing that, indeed, she doesn't think she _deserves_ to eat ice-cream, probably because of what she did earlier.

_Oh Elsa. Why do you deprive yourself of what you want? Why are you constantly punishing yourself? Hurting yourself? You deserve to be happy. You deserve to live. You're a human, a girl, not a monster._

Without thinking, I place the ice-cream directly on her mouth, to which she flinches, getting away from it, but her tongue still licks the remains and, for a moment, her eyes widen in surprise and delight.

"Elsa, you deserve it. You deserve to have everything you want, to have fun, to be happy." I insist.

"I don't. I'm a monster, Anna."

"No, you're not." I contradict her. "You're only a very broken person."

"Still. I'm a danger to the others."

"Only because you deprive yourself of feeling good things, because you hate yourself. Because you're not happy, you only feel aggression."

She blinks as if she hasn't ever think of it that way, and seems to be lost in her mind for a few seconds (That I use to have another lick) before eying first at the ice-cream, and then at me with a contemplative expression. I know it's my opportunity to strike again and break her wrong conceptions.

"Elsa, it's true you've hurt me, but I've also hurt you, so we're even. It's no reason to beat yourself up and… turn the aggression you feel towards me or the others against yourself." the moment I say it, I realize it's true. First, when she wanted to hit me in the bathroom, she hit the wall and then attempted suicide, and today she started hurting herself again after trying to strangle me. Both were exaggerated reactions though. Maybe it was accumulated fury? Of course! That's why she's the Ice Queen; she takes it all without complaining but only because she hides her fury, not letting it go and holding it in, poisoning her insides, destroying her to the point she ends up as she is now; depressed, full of resentment and anger. A monster. A beast. A _real_ Ice Queen with a frozen heart.

If I learned something from fairytales though, it is that true love can turn a beast into a handsome prince (Princess in this case) or even thaw a frozen heart.

_This may not be a fairy tale, but I'm positive it still works in real life. Elsa, I may not be a knight in shining armor. I may even be the villain in this story, but I'm all you have, and I will save you. I will learn to love you and, perhaps, I will be able to melt the walls of ice around you._

_First mission: Get her to eat ice cream._

"Come on, if _I_ deserve ice-cream, so do you." I say, handing it to her. She eyes it hesitating. She wants it, she wishes to eat it and, if the way her stomach is growling is any indication, she certainly _needs_ it. She is fighting herself, and I'm gonna help her. "The first step to stop being a monster, is being happy. Monsters are not happy." I insist. She bites her lip for a moment and then, quickly, takes the ice-cream away from me and starts licking it frantically, as if she's never eaten something as delicious as it. I smile, but I still want some. "Hey, leave something for me, will you?" She turns to see me, then looks at the ice-cream and, reluctantly, gives it to me. I take a couple of licks and then return it to her, then she does the same and we keep taking turns to taste it. It's the most normal and pleasant interaction I've had with Elsa this past week, and it makes me regain some hope because, if the small smile in her lips is any indication, we're finally making progress.

* * *

After finishing the ice-cream, we were walking around the park. It's almost deserted now except for a few people walking their dogs and one tramp lying on a bench, so the only sounds are our feet stepping on the remaining snow and the birds chirping. We're not talking, but it's a comfortable silence, and I smile since Elsa is not protesting that I'm not releasing her hand. This is just how it hoped it'd be, I think Elsa really just needed a change of environment.

In that moment, we arrive to the playground, but since the sun is already setting, there are no kids around. My playful nature kicks in and I can't help running to the nearest slide and, letting go of Elsa's hand, start climbing the stair.

"What are you doing?" Elsa asks.

"I'm climbing the stair, of course." I answer giggling. "Come on, you should do the same."

"Why?"

In that moment I reach the top and smile at the sight. It's a very tall slide, and the sight is amazing; the sky and clouds are full of orange and pink tones, and the light of the settling sun, reflecting on the patches of snow, gives the dark trees some mysterious aura. It's amazing, I love it!

"Elsa, come on! You have to see this!" I exclaim turning to look at the girl in the base of the stairs. "The view! It's amazing!"

"We're in a park. What's amazing about that?" She says raising an eyebrow. I roll my eyes.

"Why don't you come here and see by yourself?" I retort.

"I think I'll just stay here until you stop acting like some over-exited child." She says it with annoyance, but do I hear a hint of amusement? I smirk.

"Well, if you don't come by yourself, I'm afraid I'll have to go down there and make you climb." I giggle and slide down at full speed, managing to stop just in time to not land on that huge pile of dirty snow at the end of the metal ramp. Then, I get up and run where Elsa is. "So, are you doing it willingly or do I have to force you?"

She stares at me with a listless expression and then at the slide, then she shakes her head. I pout and give her a stubborn gaze, saying with my eyes that I'm not giving up until she has climbed that damned stair. After a brief staring contest, she sighs defeated and exclaims with an over exaggerated tone of resignation:

"Fine! I'll go."

"Great!" I jump with a happy smile. Elsa just rolls her eyes and start climbing, while I do so right after her. "Wait for me up there!" I say as she arrives to the top.

"It's too small for both of us." She says, standing on the small square, clearly designed to harbor just one kid.

"I know." I answer as I reach the top of the stairs. I have another plan. I just hope Elsa concedes without freaking out, because geez! She really needs it. "Sit down just at the verge of the slide, with your legs on it." She turns to see me with a confused and distrustful expression. "Relax, I won't push you, I just wanna try something."

She still hesitates, but I give her the most sincere and soothing smile I can muster hoping she will trust me for a change. I can see that she wants to, but she just can't, and it saddens her, almost like she's recalling all the times I let her down. All the times I betrayed her. I sigh.

"Please Elsa, I know this is difficult for you, and I know I don't deserve your trust but… If you just gave a chance to prove you I've changed, or at least am changing, that you can trust me, that I'll never betray you again… otherwise you'll be alone, even if I'm with you." She looks down, considering my words. "Please, just…"

"Okay." She suddenly says, so softly I almost miss it. It surprises me, but I say nothing fearing she'll regret it, as she sits on the edge as I told her.

I mentally high-five myself and do a little victory dance as I climb the last steps and, careful not to make sudden movements, sit right behind her, putting my legs beside hers in the small space that the stretch slide provides and wrapping my arms around her waist. She flinches and tries to escape from my embrace, but the only escape route right now is forward, down the slide, so she stays still, realizing she could fall.

"Anna what are you…?"

"Relax." I say with a soothing tone, placing my chin on her shoulder and hoping it's not too forward. "I figured you needed a hug; they say it's good for depression." I pause, not being able to keep myself from inhaling her minty scent and enjoying the soft feeling of her sweater's cloth. "And look at the horizon. Sunsets are one of the most relaxing scenarios I know. They give me a sense of calm, stability, because they're the last sunrays before the world is enveloped in darkness and people go to sleep. They tell you the day is over and you have to move on. If you did something good, they tell you you can rest now and celebrate your accomplishment. If you failed or did something bad, they tell you there's always tomorrow to try again."

A few moments of silence pass as both of us contemplate the sun going down, the sky becoming darker and darker. And, in that moment, feeling Elsa's body slowly relaxing into mine, hearing her soft breathes and enjoying the feeling of sudden warmth and calm that's now descended upon us, I know I've never been happier. I know this is a moment I'll cherish all my life.

Then, Elsa speaks, and her voice doesn't interrupt the calm quietness of the moment; it's like an instrument adding it's beautiful voice to an harmonious orchestra in perfect synchrony, making the song even better.

"I… never saw it that way." She says softly. "Sunsets always gave me a feeling of… melancholy."

I look at the orange-y tones and see that she's right. I also feel it. But why?

"My brother used to say sunsets are a portal that connect us to the ones we lost. Whether they died or left…" She pauses and we stay silent for a moment before she takes a deep breath and continues. "I don't know if it's true. I just know that… they make me feel like I lost something." She swallows and I see she's suddenly at the verge of tears. I don't point it out though. I just try to comfort her.

"Sometimes we have to leave things on our way. Whether they are people or experiences, opportunities… we have to do it to move forward. Otherwise, we become stagnant. It hurts, and we miss them… sometimes we repent but… that's what the sunset is about; we may have left one day behind to submerge into darkness, but there'll always be a sunrise."

I take my eyes off the beautiful view to see the girl I'm holding and, in that moment, I notice there are tears falling from her eyes and I fear that I said something wrong and made her upset, but, just before I start apologizing, she turns around and wraps her arms around my neck tightly, sobbing softly on my ear.

First I'm shocked, unable to move and wondering if I even should move, but then I react and tighten the embrace, hoping to transmit to her my feelings, to let her know that I'm here for her, that I'll help her, that she can trust me… that we'll bear the darkness of the night and see the sunrise. Together.

It's a moment so full of emotion that I actually let some tears fall.

And then, the moment is broken by the feeling of the floor moving. Fast.

Wait. No, the floor is not moving; we're falling down the slide!

I can't slow down in time and we end up falling in the cold muddy snow… well actually only Elsa because I end up landing on top of her.

"Ooof!" She exclaims as the air is knocked out of her lungs.

"S-sorry." I say, trying to get up and falling again because of the slippery ground. I'm about to try it again, when she stops me, grabbing my arms.

"It's okay." I look up to see a faint smile gracing her lips. I smile back. "It was time to go home anyways."

I then look around and see the sky has finally become dark and the lights have been turned on. She's right; it's getting late.

"Help me up." She says. Those simple three words make my heart swell with happiness. She's never asked me for help before and, even if it's on something as small as this, I know it means she's started to trust me.

"Of course." I answer and, more carefully this time, try to stand up, taking Elsa's hands and pulling her up when I feel I'm somewhat stable, however, the momentum make us stagger a little before Elsa grabs firmly my arms and both of us regain balance. Then, we step into a drier spot and start walking towards the road as both of us wipe our respective tears.

* * *

We soon get out of the park and, after walking a few blocks, arrive to Elsa's house, where she turns to see me.

"That was… fun." She says, looking at the ground.

"The slide thing?" I ask.

"The fact that you suddenly became a poet looking at the sunset." She teases.

_Wait… She teased me? Wow, that's new._

I laugh as a small blush coats my cheeks.

"Yeah… I'm normally pretty bad at metaphors."

"I've noticed." She answers trying to hide a growing beam.

"Well… see you tomorrow then." I say, knowing I have to head home now or else father will kill me, and tending her my hand. She looks at it for a moment before taking it.

"I must admit this little idea of yours exceeded my expectations." She admitts trying to look all poised and serious, as if she hasn't really enjoyed going out but it wasn't _that _bad. I knew instantly that she just doesn't want to admit she had a very good time though. I roll my eyes. "Thank you." She says then more sincerely, allowing a small grin to grace her features. Then she releases my hand and turns around to enter her house.

After giving her a final glance, I also turn around to walk home, the widest smile growing on my lips.

This day went by far better than I expected… except for the almost-choked-to-death part, but aside that, this visit was actually _way_ better than the ones before, and I didn't leave feeling exhausted and hopeless. Actually the opposite; I feel optimistic and full of energy because, for the first time since her suicide attempt, Elsa acted somewhat like her old self, and this make me think she's closer to recovering than I first thought.


	15. The museum

**Chapter 15: The museum.**

Things have been getting a lot better these past few days… at least in terms of Elsa's condition (nothing has really changed about my personal life). She's a lot more willing to talk, she changes her clothes daily, often waits for me in the living room, either watching TV or reading a book… in summary, she's almost a functioning human being now.

Of course, this took a while. After our excursion to the park, she slowly started smiling more, talking more, stopped thinking about death all the time, etc. But there were a couple of break downs the first few days in which she would cry desperately and hurt herself with whatever was close by, say she hated everything and then lay down on her bed with that hopeless stare that she had before. I'm not gonna lie; the two times I saw her like this, it scared me to no end and I wished I could only erase all the pain and sorrow that were undoubtedly crushing her heart, making her go back to the depression she'd fought so hard to come out from.

I was worried. Still am. Because I fear the day those negative emotions will crush all her hope and desire to live, leaving only a girl who wouldn't be Elsa anymore, but a living corpse that only wishes to die once and for all.

I've been having pretty dark thoughts, I know. But that kinda happens when your friend and crush is almost always talking about depressing subjects (unless you cheer her up), and in her eyes you detect a shadow of pain and sadness even when she's smiling…

Anyways. Enough of that. Today is Saturday and early this morning (round midday, when I woke up) I checked my phone only to notice that I had several missed calls from Elsa's home. Worried, I came to her house even though I had homework, and now here I am, hoping Elsa is okay.

As I knock the door, I'm surprised when Gerda doesn't come to attend, but Elsa. I stare at her for a moment before smiling and pulling her in for an embrace, which she reciprocates.

_Great, she's in good mood. Maybe we can do something._

As I pull back and stare at her eyes, she smiles and greets me.

"Hi." She says. "I thought you wouldn't come."

"I can leave if you want." I joke.

"No!" She exclaims fervently, startling me. "Please, don't leave me." She adds vulnerably, almost at the edge of tears, and now I don't know if she's fine or not. She seems to be okay, but just beneath the surface the negative emotions are about to take over.

"It's aleight." I assure her, taking her hands, worried that she might break down any minute. "I was kidding." She swallows and nods, but she still looks a little down casted. I take a look behind Elsa, at the inside of her house and see no one, and can't help having a bad feeling. "Where's Gerda?" I ask, and Elsa's posture seems to slump down a little more.

"She and Kai went to see their son…" She sighs and her gaze becomes melancholic. "Apparently he came to visit them and is only here for today."

"… that was irresponsible." I say without thinking.

"I'm fine being alone." She retorts, suddenly with that Ice Queen voice and an offended expression on her face. "And they deserve to live their lives." But as she says this, I see resentment and pain in her eyes, and I know it's not directed towards me.

"Right." I decide to change the subject before something bad happens. "Well, then I guess we have the rest of the day for ourselves." I try to give my voice a cheery tone, but it's quite difficult when deep inside I'm worried. It still seems to work just fine.

"Do you have something in mind?" She asks giving me a little smile.

_Gosh, it's like she's one person this moment, and another completely different one the next._

"Well… I was hoping you would come with me to the museum." I admit. "It's not very large, and I thought you may be interested?" _Besides, I have to write an essay for Monday, so I don't really have an option_. "And then we could go to have dinner in a restaurant nearby." She seems to think for a moment, before nodding.

"Sounds good." She says with an unreadable expression. "Let me go find my sweater."

I stay at the door as she runs upstairs and descends a few minutes later with her usual attire. She quickly closes the door and follows me through the street.

* * *

The museum isn't big or pretty, and it doesn't contain as much information as other museums, but it's near our school, placed inside an ancient building (the oldest one in Arendelle), that has its own garden. The garden is very pretty, but as much as I'd like to stay there with Elsa holding hands and talking, I know I have to get in.

It's a history museum, containing several objects that date from before the Middle Ages (Greeks, Romans, etc.) to present day. I deicide to look at them in chronological order.

As we are in the Greek room, I can't help thinking that they were pretty obsessed with human beauty, given how sexy all the sculptures are… however, a certain blonde next to me is even sexier than all of them. I bet if they'd known her, they'd represent Aphrodite like her… though she would probably be Athena in what concerns knowledge. It's almost unfair.

"What are you thinking?" She asks when she notices that I've been looking at a miniature model of the Parthenon for a while.

"N-nothing." I say as I turn to her and her bright blue eyes almost leave me speechless… however my mouth was never one to keep shut. "I was just thinking how amazing you are." I blush a my words and, when I see her confused face, I wish for the earth to swallow me. "I-I didn't… mean… that." I try to save myself from embarrassment, but when her gaze suddenly turns sad I know that came out wrong. "I mean… I did, but…"

"I'm not amazing, I know." She cuts me off with an expression that can only be described as bittersweet. "You couldn't have meant that." As much as she tries to say it like it's not a big deal, I can see through it and notice the slight tremble on her voice. She's hurting herself again.

"I did." I assure her, trying to take her hand, but she pulls it away.

"No… you didn't." Now her hands and shoulders are also trembling. She's seconds away from crying.

"Yes, I did." I answer more firmly.

"No, you didn't!" She screams, and her voice echoes trough the room, startling me and the single guard that's at the other end of the hall. As I suspected, just after that, tears start falling from her eyes and she starts sobbing uncontrollably. It's a good thing the museum is almost empty today.

Not wanting to witness another break down (this time in public, no less), because it almost physically hurts to see her like that, I take her shoulders and make her face me.

"Elsa, look at me." I command and luckily she does as I say without protesting. It's a good sign; when she's really bad, she never even listens. "I didn't mean to say _out loud_ that you are amazing, but I do think so." Trying to keep strong even though those beautiful sad blue eyes, I continue. "I mean… you are as beautiful as Aphrodite, as wise as Athena, as strong as Hercules and as gentle as…" Now I'm out of comparisons. As far as I know, every Greek god and goddess did at least one pretty awful thing, but I still try to save it. "As gentle as… uh… yourself?" Luckily it seems like it was the right thing to say because an slightly amused expression fights to take over Elsa's sorrowful features, and I mentally high five myself for it. "The point is…" I continue with a smile. "That I really think you're awesome, I've never met someone as perfect as you, and I feel honored to be right now by your side."

"But… I'm not perfect." She protests trying to wipe her tears with her sleeve. "My skin is too pale, my hair is too white and my eyes are… unnatural." Her gaze saddens after this and I know her own words affect her more than she'd be willing to admit.

"Well yes, but I like those parts of you." I retort. "Your looks are certainly different, but they're a good different." I smile, hoping this will reassure her.

"And I'm not as smart as you say." She keeps protesting. "I'm doing poorly at school."

"Only because you are depressed." I sigh. "As far as I know, you only ever got perfect grades before this year."

_Before I came and ruined your already hard life._

She seems to think for a minute before she sighs.

"… Alright." She says. "Let's assume I'm beautiful and smart for a moment, even though I'm not…" I roll my eyes. "I'm still depressed, broken, complicated… I-I even tried to kill you. You can't argue with that." Now her voice seems to be even sadder, if that's possible, and a new wave of sobs comes out.

"Yes. That's true." I admit. "But you know what?" When I look into her eyes again, I notice she's hoping that I contradict her, that I make her feel like she's worth something. I'm not gonna disappoint her. "You had every right to feel sad, to feel like there's no hope, to feel angry, frustrated… and yet here you are." I run my eyes over her to prove my point. "Trying to get better, to _be_ better, even though a lot of people would've given up a long time ago." I pause to give her a smile. "You're strong. That's what I admire of you."

Suddenly a torrent of tears start coming from her eyes and I fear I said something wrong, but she suddenly hugs me and starts sobbing into my shoulder like there's no tomorrow. I don't know what's happening right now, but I do the only thing I can do; hold her.

"Thank you." She says, and I know I'm finally doing something right.

* * *

After Elsa calmed down and assured me that she was fine and we didn't have to go back to her house, we kept walking. Actually she almost seemed like her normal self, looking at everything with interest and sometimes even commenting. Her eyes were still red and her posture kinda hunched, which revealed she wasn't completely alright, but at least she was trying.

Before long, we arrive to the Modern period exposition, where there are lots of portraits of important people that were made during that period, and my are eyes almost immediately drawn to one of a regal-looking woman with a teal dress, magenta cape and blue gloves, wearing a golden tiara that signaled her as queen. What is so special about it, you say? She is almost identical to Elsa.

_She _has_ to see this!_

"Hey Elsa." I call the girl who was currently admiring with awe some sketches from Leonardo Da Vinci that are a little behind us, in the Renaissance room. She turns around to look at me. "You have to see this." I point to the portrait and she looks up to it, then she approaches and reads out loud the inscription beneath it.

"Queen Astrid Olafsdottir. Norway. 1819-1878." She puts a thoughtful expression before turning to look at me. "What about her?" She asks confused.

"Don't you see it?" I ask in disbelief. "She's identical to you!"

"Anna… she's from Norway; even at that time, it wasn't rare to find blonde, blue-eyed people in my native country." I raise an eyebrow at the regal voice in which she said it and how her posture is almost an exact replica of that of the queen. Then, she covers her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Alright." She says smiling, and it's the most joyful smile I've seen her make this whole day. "You caught me. I'm a queen from the XIX century who somehow managed to travel in time just to meet you."

The sweet, yet playful, tone in which she says it almost makes my heart stop, it's just like that time when she went to my house before Christmas.

_Gosh, she looks really good when she's not depressed…_

Great. Now I'm blushing.

"Oh, really? And what's so special about me?" I say approaching to her. "Your majesty?" I add touching lightly her arm. She looks to my hand and gulps, but I don't know how to read her expression. Is she uncomfortable? Did I went too far?

"Uh… I-I…" She steps back clumsily before resuming her regal posture and looking at me with a serious expression. She clears her throat and continues. "I was sent to find the lost princess." She says almost in a hurry, but still keeping her queen-like voice.

"Oh." I take a moment to process this information. "So we're like… sisters?"

"Exactly." She smirks and I frown. "You don't seem to be very happy about it." She comments.

"Uhm… No." I make a face of disgust. "I don't want to be your sister."

"Oh." Her expression seems to be a little casted down, but she soon hides it. "But then you wouldn't be princess."

"I can be princess consort." I retort, giving her a flirtatious smile, but she just stares at me like I just said that I could be an alien with reindeer antlers who poops gold for what feels like an eternity, and this time I know I really screwed it up. I mean, I know she's recovering from depression and that she's probably not interested in these things at the moment, but I can't help flirting a little with her, it comes natural! I mean, I _do_ like her.

Her wonderful (yet scared) voice interrupts my thoughts.

"P-princess consort?" She exclaims.

"Yeah, you know… the consort of the quee…" I interrupt myself. I shouldn't let Elsa know about how I feel about her right now. This is clearly _not_ the right moment. "The consort of the prince!" I correct. "Yep, your younger brother. I bet he'd be as gorgeous as you." I put my hands on my mouth and blush. I shouldn't have said that last part.

_Earth, please, swallow me._

Fortunately, Elsa just laughs, and this time is not a discrete laugh, but a loud one, actually full of amusement. I can't help joining her (Even though I don't know why she's even laughing), and we both laugh until our lungs hurt and I'm literally lying on the floor and bending over.

Just when I think I'm going to get out of air and never be able to breathe again, Elsa speaks, still trying to control her giggles.

"Well, I'm sorry." She extends her hand to me and I take it, and then she helps me up. I look at her and she still has that bright smile and her cheeks flushed. It must be illegal to be this perfect. "I don't have a younger brother, so you can't be princess consort." She gives me what apparently is an apologetic look.

"Well, then I guess I'll be a knight in shining armor. Saving princesses, slaying ferocious beasts and protecting my beautiful Queen." I smile and wink; now that the mood is _way_ lighter than just moment earlier, I feel it's safe to play a little with fire. However, when Elsa's smile disappear and she lowers her gaze, I fear I said something wrong.

"Even from herself?" She asks, and I instantly know what she's doing. She's asking for help. For real, not only as part of our little game.

_"__Specially_ from herself." I answer taking her hands between mine and giving her a reassuring smile that she hesitantly returns. "I'll be here for you, don't worry." I assure her. "Until you don't need me anymore."

I don't know why I said that. Maybe I needed her to tell me that she'd always need me, that she'd still want my company even after she's come out of depression… That we are friends. But her reaction isn't a good one.

"Let's continue." She curtly says letting go of my hands and walking away, not sparing me a second glance.

My heart breaks as I see her retreating form.

* * *

We keep quiet the rest of the time we're in the museum, and it's rather awkward and depressing. I mean, I know there's something going on in Elsa's head, something dark, but unfortunately I can't get into her mind and stop it.

Once we've seen all the rooms and looked at every old object, I decide to take her to the garden, hoping this will distract her from whatever she's thinking. And that it'll also distract _me_; I haven't forgotten her reaction to my kind words.

So we stroll down the garden, admiring the flowers (Though Elsa just keeps looking at the ground), until we reach a little bench in front of a small fountain that's actually very pretty. Since my feet are killing me, I go and sit down on it, hoping Elsa will do the same. She does, but she keeps quiet and avoiding my gaze.

"So…" I try to break the silence. "What did you think?"

"Nothing." She shrugs. "It was like every other museum."

I open my mouth to argue, but I can't. She's right; it's like every other museum. I better change the topic.

"Uhm… the weather is very nice, right?" I comment but internally wince.

_The weather? Seriously? Couldn't I have picked something more interesting?_

"… I guess." She says curtly, and it's clear to me that she really has no intention to speak, for whatever reason.

I sigh and look around, hoping to find something to distract me from the complicated girl beside me, when the strangest thing happens; I see something brown and fluffy disappear behind a bush. As the natural adventurous girl I am, I follow it, not caring if it's a bear cub or a horrendous big rat. I just _have_ to know what it is. And to get away from Elsa for a minute.

When I take a look behind the bush, however, the little fur ball disappears behind another one, and this time I don't hesitate to jump over it, almost breaking the brush and getting a few scratches in my arms. It tries to get away, but I have it firmly clutched between my hands. However, it won't be long before it escapes if I don't get up quickly, so after a minute of struggling with the furry animal, I'm finally able to get on my feet and take a look at it.

I wasn't expecting to have a little German shepherd puppy in my hands.

He is so cute! And once it realizes I'm not a monster or whatever he thought I was, he starts licking my face adorably. I giggle at this and try to get him off my face, and while I do this, I remember my Elsa problem and think this little guy could be the solution. Wherever he came from.

"Hey Elsa!" I call her getting out of the bushes and walking towards the fountain. She just eyes me with an unamused expression. "Look what I found." I say, trying not to feel discouraged because of her lack of enthusiasm.

"A… dog?" She looks at me with surprise, but mostly bored. Then she frowns. "What is a dog doing here?"

"He must be lost." I shrug and then check for a name plate or something, but it only has a collar. "What do you think we should do with him?" I ask smiling and rubbing affectionately his head. However, Elsa's next words wipe every trace of happiness from my face, and a shudder runs down my spine.

"Kill him." She says with an expressionless face.

"W-what?" I ask with wide eyes and hoping that I misheard what she said.

"We should kill him." She repeats louder, looking up into the puppy's eyes. "That way he won't have to suffer this… _life_." She says the last word as if it were something disgusting and then her eyes become red with contained tears. That's when I know something must be really wrong with her right now.

I sit down at her side and place the pup down, hoping he won't escape, but fortunately, he just stays nearby trying to catch a bee. Then, I face Elsa.

"Elsa… what are you talking about? Why do you say such terrible things? Life is worth living, it's…"

"No!" She suddenly screams startling me, and I unconsciously back away from her a little. She has that crazy expression on her face. "No, it is not! It must seem like it sometimes, but the happy days… are just there to tease us, to make the suffering much more unbearable since you now know there is something better." The tears are now running down her cheeks and her voice sounds hoarse, but I still don't dare to approach her. "But life is just suffering." She continues. "That puppy." She points at him. "He seems happy now, he surely has someone who takes care of him, who apparently loves him… But you know what?" She turns to look at me with an expression so full of sorrow and despair that all I want is to do is hug her tightly, but I know right now that'd be rather dangerous. "If he does something his owner doesn't like… o-or if his owner suddenly discovers he's something he shouldn't be… he'll be out on the streets all of a sudden, alone, at the mercy of bad people who don't care about him at all, who may try to hurt him just for fun, who'll watch him suffer and do nothing about it…" She suddenly starts sobbing uncontrollably and my heart breaks. She's not talking about the puppy.

"That could happen." I admit carefully. "But even if it did, maybe he could find a home somewhere else, with people who actually love him and try to help him. They'll heal his injuries, help him forget his hurtful past… Take care of him."

"M-maybe." She says hesitantly, interrupting her sobs to answer. "But then they'd realize he's too damaged to be healed, that he's just a burden that's keeping them from living their lives, that he'll never be the perfect puppy he always has to be." A strong sob interrupts her, but she still tries to keep talking. "And when that happens, he'll be alone again, and he won't be able to go on anymore, because he loved them so much… and they left him again. And it wasn't even their fault. It was his. He wasn't good enough to be loved."

In that moment realization hits me like a truck; Elsa's pain, fear and insecurities hasn't diminished at all. Not even these past week. There were still there, full force, just concealed, as they had been before she tried to commit suicide. She has been trying to be better, to be happier, yes. But not for her; for Kai, for Gerda… for me. Because she thought we'd leave her if we knew she was still suffering. And she was _so _scared of being alone.

I can't help it when I suddenly break down crying, feeling immense pain inside my chest, knowing it is just a fraction of the pain Elsa is feeling.

Not caring if she freaks out, I hug her as I whisper to her ear:

"I don't care if you're not perfect. So what? Everyone's a bit of a fixer upper." I pause, trying to control my sobs. "Yes, you've been hurt, you're broken to the point that a full recovery doesn't seem possible… But I'll be there to help you get better. I'll heal the wounds I can heal, and comfort you when you suffer from the ones I can't. You'll be left with scars, a lot of scars that will mar your otherwise beautiful heart… a-and maybe sometimes it'll seem like it's too much, that you can't live like that anymore. But I'll be there… always. You won't be alone.

Elsa doesn't say anything. Not with words anyway. She just hugs me; she hugs me until almost every trace of air has been crushed out of my lungs. But I don't care. I don't care because the contact is so intimate, the warmth so intense, the feelings so real… that the entire world changes.

All fatigue leaves my body, the stress slowly fades away. The fear and anxiety that are always present in me suddenly disappear. All the problems about my grades, my fake friends, Hans, etc. just don't matter anymore. Nothing matters except this girl that's hugging me like her life depended on it. It's a wonderful feeling.

It feels natural when I suddenly pronounce the words that I said once before, to the same girl, but that weren't true then. Now, I know I'm being completely honest.

"I love you."

And suddenly my tears are tears of happiness, and when her sobs become a relieved laugh, I feel myself melting on her just as she melts on me.

And then slumber comes and we fall asleep into each other's arms.


	16. First date

**I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.**

* * *

**Chapter 16. First date.**

I'm suspended in space, floating. Then, I'm warm and cozy, resting on something soft and comforting. But something isn't right. I don't know what, but… suddenly everything doesn't seem so perfect. I lean more on what I'm resting on, hoping this action will suffice, but it doesn't. I think someone is trying to wake me up, but this just feels so right! And besides, I'm already awake, I just haven't opened my eyes.

I'm about to fall asleep again when I hear, loud and clear, the sound that was disturbing me.

"Sven!" The potent voice of a man screams, startling me so badly that I literally jump, almost falling from the bench I was sitting on, but someone catches me. I think it's Elsa; I remember falling asleep with her.

Slumber is about to take me one more time, when I hear a voice asking me something about a dog.

"Dog? Uhmmm…" I blink, trying to clear my mind enough to answer. "Yeah… dog… found… over the…" I can't stay awake enough time to finish the sentence, but I don't regret it; I _love_ sleeping.

"Where?!" The voice sounds again, this time louder and more desperate, so I almost instantly wake up completely (due to the great amount of adrenaline my body produced at his yell) and quickly rush to answer.

"Oh, right, dog!" I exclaim opening my eyes and looking at the blonde muscular man with a worried expression that's in front of me. "Uhm… there was a puppy over there." I point to the bushes where I found the animal before I fell asleep. "It was a… German shepherd." I smile to him and he runs away to where the puppy was.

"How rude." Elsa, who is sitting beside me, comments once he's out of earshot.

"Nah, he was just worried because of his puppy, I saw it in his eyes; he is nice, deep inside." I answer.

_"__Very_ deep inside." She mumbles, which makes me giggle. Actually I meant it when I said he looked like a nice person; I bet he could make a good friend, even if Elsa doesn't seem to agree.

In that moment, the guy appears again, this time hugging tightly a muddy puppy that doesn't stop licking his face… an action that his owner reciprocates. That must be the grossest thing I've ever seen. I can't help it when I grimace slightly, but try to cover it up quickly.

"Thank you." He says to me, finally stopping his show of affection towards the animal. "Seriously, Sven is my best friend and I don't know what I would've done if I couldn't have find him."

"It was nothing." I say politely, trying to ignore the smell of sweat and wet dog that emanates from him.

"I'm Kristoff." He offers his hand for me to take, but it's muddy so I obviously don't accept it. He seems to realize this and quickly tries to wipe it on his pants, only managing to make a mess, his hand still not being clean enough for anyone to hold.

"I'm Anna." I answer carefully placing my hands behind my legs, to indirectly say I don't want to touch him, without being too rude.

"Well… uhm… thanks again." He says awkwardly and turns to leave, just to turn around a second later. "I work near here, at Pabbie's Auto shop if you ever… you know… need anything?" A hopeful smile forms on his face and I almost feel bad for him, because I can see he likes me (better said, he likes my body) and maybe would want to date me sometime, but there's no way I could ever like him back; after all my heart is already taken.

"Thanks, I'll remember that." I answer just not to break his heart right away, and chuckle when he blushes and then turns to leave almost tripping on his way out since he tried to walk away while watching me. "He's kinda…" I let the sentence hang there, not really knowing how to describe him; he was quite different than a normal guys, and yes, it repulsed me how he didn't have any sense of hygiene, but that's not really what bothered me.

"Smelly? Gross? Awkward?" Elsa provides and I chuckle shaking my head, finally realizing why I didn't like him at all.

"I was going to say rude." I answer.

"Why?" She asks, clearly utterly confused.

"Because you're here with me and he basically ignored you. I mean, he didn't even spare you a glance! That's incredibly impolite." She giggles at my words, but her expression is sad, down casted, like she's telling herself horrible things. "Elsa, stop right there." I say with a stern voice. "I know you're thinking you don't deserve even the smallest amount of attention, but you do. It may seem like a small thing to you, something that can't even be taken as an offense, but…" I swallow and fix my eyes intensely on hers, trying to emphasize the importance of my next words. "Looking at someone… is acknowledging they exist, that they are human beings." At this, Elsa's expression turns from surprised to guilty and then, finally, to grateful and calm, and I know my statement fulfilled its purpose.

"Thank you." She says smiling, a gesture that I reciprocate before taking her hands and getting us both up from the bench.

"Well, I think we've spent too much time in here and I still plan on having dinner with you. Come on!" I prompt her as I tug her hand to drag her towards the exit, excited about what we'll do next.

* * *

When we arrive to the restaurant it's almost sunset, which I think is very convenient because it gives this a somewhat romantic settling. Not that this is a date or something. It certainly seems like it but it's not, really. Just two friends going to dinner at a nice restaurant for no particular reason.

_Right. Even in my mind that sounds like an excuse._

The restaurant is one I sometimes visit with my parents, usually at their respective birthdays and their anniversary, so I know the food is good. I wouldn't risk taking Elsa to somewhere they can't make delicious food.

The waitress leads us to our seats and asks us if we want something to drink. I ask for hot chocolate, since it's my favorite drink, but as I prompt Elsa to order she seems hesitant and says she doesn't have money to pay for the food. I roll my eyes; of course I know that! Besides, I invited her, so I should be the one paying, though Elsa doesn't seem to understand this. After me insisting her to order for what feels like hours she finally asks for a chocolate milkshake, my second favorite drink. I smile at this; it seems we're not so different after all.

As we wait for our drinks to arrive, we decide on what we want to eat. I can't decide between ordering a sandwich or pancakes with Nutella… or the big chocolate cake, or the Oreo cheesecake, or every other thing with chocolate. Even if Elsa says those are not healthy foods. So what? No matter how much I eat I still have a great figure (If I do say so myself). But my arguments don't convince her and I end up thinking she sounds a lot like my parents.

In the end, I order that special extra-large sandwich filled with bacon, cheese, jam, lettuce and a lot more delicious things, and a big chocolate cake as dessert, while Elsa just orders some chicken with salad. The waitress says she'd bring us our orders as soon as possible.

Now, there's only the two of us in complete silence and I don't know what to say… well, that's not true, I can think of lots of things to say, but I don't want to start rambling and ruin the date... Moment. Ruin the moment. But at the end the silence is too overwhelming and I decide to break it.

"So…" I start.

"So?" Elsa says.

"So… you… uhm…" I bite my lower lip and look around, trying to find some topic not only I can talk about, but Elsa as well. "Uh… this is a nice restaurant." I almost face palm myself; that's not a topic you can talk much about.

"It is." She just answers. I nod and continue thinking about what to say next. I know I can't wait until Elsa speaks first, but damn! I don't want to do all the talking either; I want to know more about her, that's what dates are made for after all, right?

_Except this is not a date… or is it?_

I laugh nervously as the thought of this being my first date with Elsa enters my mind, because it's almost exactly as I always imagined a first date would be; Spending almost all day together, going to somewhere nice (the garden where we fell asleep counts as somewhere nice) and then, at sunset, going to a nice restaurant and chatting a little, and then, at the end, finish the day with a goodbye kiss.

But of course, that last thing would never happen… right? I mean, it's not like Elsa likes me.

_Though, to be sure, I could try flirting a little with her. If she blatantly rejects my advances or ignores them, I will stop, but if not…_

"What?" Elsa asks confused, but smiling, as she notices me laughing for no apparent reason. I decide to get my plan in motion.

"Nothing." I shrug nonchalantly. "I was just thinking this kinda seems like a date."

"A-a… a date?" Elsa's voice sounds panicked and her breathing turns agitated, but she doesn't show clear signs of disgust for the idea. Scared, yes, but disgusted? No. I don't want to cause her discomfort though, because I know as soon as she feels fear, she retreats into her shell again, like a shy turtle. And I don't want that; I don't want to push her away.

"I was just kidding!" I scream far more frantically than I intended, startling the people on the table next to ours. I blush and continue with a more normal tone. "I mean… it's not a _date_, come on, that's just…" I chuckle a little to show how absurd the mere thought was, but then I feel sadness at how her reaction, even if it wasn't a direct rejection, obviously it wasn't the one I'd have expected if she felt the same for me, and it hurts. "… Yeah." I finish lamely. Suddenly not in the mood to talk anymore.

However, as silence stretches on, I don't have another option except to initiate conversation with the blonde again, but I'm careful to change the subject and make sure this time she has no other option than to talk.

"You know? I actually took you out to dinner because I wanted to talk to you in a nicer settling than usual. I was hoping that way you'd… I don't know… be more open?" I say.

"Well, I guess it's a good strategy." She admits with a small smile that banishes all the tension I felt before. "What would you like to talk about?"

"I don't know." I shrug. "Whatever you want. I just want to know you better, as in, know what you like, what you don't, which movie is your favorite, if you prefer dark or milk chocolate… you know, the usual stuff you learn about someone before helping them overcome an emotional crisis." I chuckle at my own joke and Elsa does too. Our situation can indeed sound comical when you say it like that.

"You're right." She agrees. "Okay, let's see." She thinks for a moment before answering, and her thoughtful face (when it's not distressed) appears way too cute to me. I can't help smiling widely even before she answers. "I like drawing, usually buildings because I want to become an architect, but I can also draw people."

"You're very good at it!" I quickly compliment her. "The other day I saw a drawing you made of me, and it was very well detailed." I add at the look of confusion on her face.

"Y-you saw it?" She blushes and averts her gaze while smiling in the cutest and shyest way.

"Yeah, it was totally an accident, but I'm glad I did. You'll be a great architect." I say honestly.

"I won't." She replies with a sad tone, and suddenly her posture is the one of a defeated person.

"W-why not?" I ask, concerned and confused about her response.

"Because…" She sighs and then pauses, closing her eyes for a moment as if her thoughts were far too bad and overwhelming. "Father." She says at last, obviously not wanting to talk more about the issue.

"Oh." I simple answer, wanting to know more about it and at the same time not wanting to distress her. "I see, well…" At the end, I decide to let it slip_. _For now. "I still think you have amazing skills. Maybe one day you could make me a drawing of you?" I ask her instead. I'd really like to have a picture of the girl of my dreams made by herself.

"Of me?" She asks in disbelief and a little hesitant. "Uh… what about I make a drawing of us instead?" She counters. I don't know what does she have against drawing herself alone, but that's okay. A drawing of us will be enough. Better even. It'll remind me of the amazing relationship we have.

"Sounds good to me." I say and she smiles, but just when she's about to say something else, our meal arrives and we start eating… well, more like I start stuffing my mouth with the sandwich while Elsa calmly and composedly cuts apart her chicken. I can't talk right now because if I did, I'd end up choking, but Elsa can, so I give her an encouraging look, prompting her to start talking, hoping it will work. Thankfully it does and soon I'm hearing from Elsa herself everything and anything about her life.

I learn that her favorite chocolate is dark chocolate, being closed followed by the cookies and cream one (my personal favorite). I find it odd that she likes the two most different types of chocolate, but I don't comment on it as she then says she actually loves any kind of chocolate in almost every one of its many forms. I smile at this; she is too similar to me in that aspect.

She also tells me she absolutely loved Ice-skating and that she used to go to practice said activity with her brother Jack… until he died and she stopped doing it all together. At this her gaze turns sad and I quickly distract her telling her that there's an ice rink near the mall and that I'd totally love to go with her if she wanted to. To my relief, she accepts with a smile and soon she's talking about her love for math. I frown at this; I've always hated math and I suck at it, but I still think it suits her, so I don't say anything.

Then she continues talking and talking about herself and, for the first time, I see that she's being truly open, like she _wants_ to share everything about her life, and doesn't need to be forced into it. After a while, she looks happier than I've ever seen her and more like her real self, so relaxed, so beautiful, with such a dreamy gaze… like the seventeen year old her she truly is and not the old lady her attitude would make you believe she is. I'm proud of her, of how, without me prying the answers out of her, she voluntarily showed me a little of who Elsa Frost really is. And what I saw, I liked. I mean, I already liked Elsa before, even if didn't know much about her, and the little I knew was mainly about her tragic past, but now I like her even more. I love her. Every moment I spend with her reinforces that feeling.

* * *

After a while, when Elsa finishes her chicken (Like fifteen minutes after I finish my sandwich), I decide it's dessert time and eye the chocolate cake in front of me desperately wanting to stuff my mouth with it. But decide to give it a better use, one that'll help me know if she reciprocates my feelings. So I get up and go sit at Elsa's side of the table, placing the chocolate cake between us. She shots me a questioning gaze and I beam mischievously in response.

"I think you've earned half of my cake." I say. "After all, you answered all of my questions and talked for over an hour almost uninterrupted."

"I didn't do it to win a prize." She rolls her eyes.

"Oh? So then can I have it all for myself?" I say raising an eyebrow as I cut a forkful and place it right under her nose, where I know the amazing smell is going to drive her crazy, to then quickly take it into my mouth humming in delight at the taste while I close my eyes. I'm teasing her, I know that, but it's for a good cause. I think.

"Okay, I do want my prize." She says extending her hand so I pass her the untouched fork beside me, just at the edge of the table. I smile in triumph and pretend to reach for the fork, while actually giving it a little push to send it to the floor. "Well, I guess I can ask the waitress for another." She says resigned, clearly desperate to taste the threat.

"Yes, we could do that." I answer with what I hope sounds like a nonchalant tone, when I'm internally screaming in excitement at the thought of what I'm about to do. Then, my expression turns into a mischievous one and Elsa actually gulps nervously. "Or, we could just…" I pause, cutting another piece with my fork and then approaching it to her face. "Share." I finish with what I hope sounds like a flirting tone and with half-lidded eyes. Elsa's face turns bright read as she keeps staring at the piece of chocolate placed on my fork, but I don't really know if it's from embarrassment… or something more. I'll know it though when she accepts or refuses my offering, being that this isn't something normal friends do. It clearly has a romantic undertone, at least under these circumstances.

When she just stays there petrified, I press the tip of the fork lightly to those pink and smooth lips (g_reat, now I'm jealous of a piece of cake_), prompting her to take it in, to which she responds by blushing even harder, the blood in her cheeks giving her a healthy peachy color that makes her look all the more appealing. This encourages me to keep pressing and this time she doesn't resist.

She gives me a shy look as she takes the piece of cutlery in her mouth, looking extremely adorable as she takes the small amount of cake with her lips before I extract the fork from her mouth, smiling triumphantly. It felt nice, intimate, like there was a real connection between us, one that went farther than we could fathom yet, and I can't stop myself when I quickly proceed to cut one more piece for myself and, once I've eaten it, another one for Elsa. We continue like this until the cake is gone, both blushing and smiling all the time. By this point this is going better than any date I've ever imagined.

* * *

Once dinner was over, we take a bus to Elsa's house (I couldn't just let her go alone, what if something happened to her?) and, when we arrive to the bus stop, we descend and start walking the few blocks that separate it from the place where she lives. This time we both stay silent, but it's fine that way, calmer, and it allows us to relish each other's presence all the more. However, too soon for my liking, we arrive at our destination and it's time to say goodbye. She turns to look at me when we get to the door, and I give her a tiny smile.

"I guess it's time for me to go home." I say, even though I'd like to stay here forever.

"Yeah…" She sighs, obviously not wanting me to go just yet either. "I-I really had a good time with you." She says, and I notice true gratefulness in her eyes.

"Yes, it was pretty amazing." My smile becomes wider as I remember what a good time we had at the restaurant, especially at dessert, and unconsciously, I lean closer. "I'd never seen you more happy and relaxed. And the cake part was really good!" I giggle and Elsa follows suit, covering her mouth with one hand cutely. "It really was what a first date should be." I speak without thinking as I usually do, and my eyes widen as my cheeks blush. But this time I don't try to deny what I just said, because I'm really curious about what her answer will be. I've never been good at dealing with uncertainty.

I can see she's thinking about what I said, I mean, she's shocked and petrified, but I can see in her eyes that she's considering my last statement. It looks like she can't decide which course of action she'll take, and I think maybe I wasn't clear enough. Maybe she doesn't understand the meaning I'm giving this date and fears that I'll get mad if she starts assuming things, so I decide to make my intentions more clear. I just hope that she reciprocates my feelings and this doesn't ruin our relationship.

I take a deep breath to settle down the thousands of butterflies that suddenly appeared in my stomach and subtly wipe the sweat out of my palms in my jeans. Then, before I can think better about this and repent, I lean in to kiss her lips… but when my lips finally touch her, they meet the skin of her cheek. I open my eyes confused and see that she has turned to the side, eyes shut and trembling badly.

This is not the reaction I was expecting at all.

"I'm sorry." She chokes out as tears fall from her eyes, and my heart clenches in pain when I realize she's not only rejecting me but that I probably just ruined everything. However, her next words tell me this situation is a lot more complicated than Elsa simply not feeling the same for me. "I-I can't… it's… w-wrong." As she says this, more tears escape her eyes and she starts sobbing quietly.

"Wrong?" I don't understand. I expected her to say that she doesn't feel the same or something like that, but to say it's wrong? "How? Don't you love me?" I ask, wanting to understand, even if I have to force Elsa to blatantly say she doesn't like me that way. I prefer that than to be left confused and uncertain.

"Anna, of course I love you." She says opening her eyes so I can see how true she's being about this, how deep her feelings for me are. And now I'm even more confused, because if she loves me back, why did she say she can't be with me? Why there's so much sadness in her stare? "But…" She continues sighing. "We're both girls. This isn't natural." A new torrent of tears escapes from her eyes and her sobs intensify. I feel pain again, but this time it's because I don't like seeing her suffering. However, the strongest emotion I feel right now is anger.

"Not natural?" I exclaim. "How can you say it is not natural? It sure feels natural to me!" I didn't go through hell to figure out my sexuality for the love of my life to come and say my feelings are not "natural". "You can't say it's wrong just because we're both women! It's still love." I pause and take her arms to emphasize my next words. "You know what is wrong and unnatural? To force yourself to be with a guy, just because that's what society expects from you, when you really are in love with a girl, but you're too scared to admit it and you end up hurting her instead." Suddenly tears fall from my eyes because of the overwhelming emotions I'm feeling, because if homosexuality was considered normal, we probably wouldn't have suffered so much. "True love is never wrong." I continue after wiping my tears, my voice sounding much calmer this time. I have to convince Elsa, not only because I want her to be my girlfriend, but because I know she'll be hurting herself if she keeps thinking that what she feels for me isn't right. "It doesn't matter if it's between a man and a woman, or two women or two men; if it's love, it can't be wrong."

"I-I don't know Anna…" She weakly tries to protest while averting her gaze, but I can sense her hesitation so, before she can react (and before I have time to reconsider), I decide to show her just how right this really is.

When I first feel my lips pressing against hers, a wave of pleasure courses through my body, so overwhelming and different to anything I've ever experienced before, that for a moment I'm afraid I'll just spontaneously combust due to the many intense emotions I am feeling. It's nothing like kissing Meg, and it's definitely light-years away from what kissing Hans was like. This feels special, not only giving me physical satisfaction, but also emotional relief, like this is what I've been searching for all my life… and maybe it is. I know it sounds crazy, but if there's such a thing as a 'true love's kiss', this is it.

_I wish this had been my first kiss._

However, as amazing as it is, I know it has to end sooner or later, so I pull away to stare at Elsa's eyes and see her reaction.

"Did that feel wrong?" I ask, determined to keep kissing her until her answer is "No". But if her blushed cheeks and heavy breathing are any indication, I don't think I'll have to do that.

"No, no at all." She answers just before taking my nape and crashing our lips together one more time.

I can't help smiling into the kiss, because I know this moment will not only change our relationship forever, but also the way Elsa feels about herself. And both changes will be for good.


	17. Confrontation

**Chapter 17: Confrontation.**

I'm very happy, the happiest I've been in my entire life, and you know why? It's not only that now I have the kindest, smartest, most gorgeous girlfriend I could ask for. Well, also that, but my current state of elation is due to the fact that said girlfriend is finally going to attend school. That's right, after spending weeks locked in her house dealing with depression, Elsa finally called me yesterday to let me know that today she'll be returning to school. We'll be spending all day together! Well, not really, but at least we'll be eating lunch together, seeing each other briefly between classes and then I'll walk her to her house. I'm so excited about it that I told her I'd meet her at her house so we could make our way to school together, however she refused saying that Kai would give her a ride and that she'd meet me at the entrance. I was a little reluctant but at the end accepted, since I didn't want to seem overly clingy.

Anyways, now I'm here, outside school, a few meters away from the door watching the cars pass by and hoping Elsa will be in the next one. Soon she arrives; a car parks just in front of me and from it descends the wonderful girl I have the luck to call mine. I wave at her and smile, while she nervously waves back and starts walking in my direction. That's when I notice the first weird thing about her: she doesn't have her usual braid, instead having tied her hair into a tight bun. Also, she seems hesitant, scared, like a small deer knowing it'd be facing a ferocious wolf soon. I don't blame her though; Hans and the others will surely try something, but at least she now has me to protect her.

"Hey Elsa." I say enthusiastically trying to cheer her up, but she only gives me a tiny smile. Still, I lean forward to give her a quick peck on those beautiful pink lips, but instead of letting me kiss her, she steps back with a horrified expression. I feel sharp pain on my heart at this, but still try to talk to her, hoping this is only a mistake, or a misunderstanding. "Uh… Is everything alright?"

_Please tell me I didn't misinterpret everything and that we are indeed girlfriends._

"I-I…" Elsa looks like she doesn't know more than me what just happened. She is confused, but still scared. Her face is even paler than usual and there are black circles under her eyes. I can tell she had a hard weekend; she's tired, but also worried about something. "I'm sorry." She gulps, not looking at me. "I w-wanted to kiss you, really, I-it's just…" She pauses, closing her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply apparently to calm herself down. I patiently wait for her to explain why she's acting like this, but when she opens her eyes, I can see she won't. "It's nothing." She gives me a reassuring smile, but I bet even a blind person could see it's fake. "Really, I'm just tired."

"Elsa… I know you're lying." I berate her. "And I really don't think that's a good way to start the first day of our relationship." I take her hands to reassure her, and fortunately she lets me comfort her. "Come on, tell me."

"I'm sorry." She sighs. "I think I'm still not used to have a girlfriend and to the physical contact it implies… since I've been alone all my life." At this, her gaze saddens considerably.

"That's okay, I understand." I assure her, before quickly kissing her on the lips, relishing at their softness and warmth, and relieved that this time she doesn't pull back. Unfortunately, we really need to go now or we'll be late. "Come on, let's go." I say after reluctantly pulling back from her, seeing her lovely cheeks reddening beautifully. I smile at this, and, taking her hand, start leading them to the entrance. "So…" I say to start a little conversation. "Why the sudden change to your look?"

"I woke up late. I didn't have time to braid it." She shrugs. I'm not really sure she's telling the truth, but I let it slip for now.

"Well, it looks good, though I still prefer your braid." She only gives me a tiny smile before returning her gaze to the front. I sigh. I know something's going on in that head of hers… If only she told me what.

As we enter the school, we see Hans at the distance and I feel her grip on my hand loosening as she slightly, almost imperceptibly separates from me. Instinctively, I know she wants to let go of my hand, probably to avoid _him_ seeing us together, but this time I will do things right. I won't leave her alone; I will be hers and she will be mine, and everyone will know. So I tighten my grip around her hand.

"We're together." I remind her. "He can't separate us."

"A-are you sure?" She asks nervously. "He'll be pissed when he sees us."

"Good." I simply answer. I'm tired of hiding who I really am, and how I really feel.

However, he doesn't see us, at least for now, and we're able to collect our belongings and part to our respective classes without incident. Of course I didn't want to separate from her, especially after seeing her a little off, but what can I do? She's already missed two weeks of classes, I can't ask her to skip just so we can be together all day.

* * *

So hours pass like days, or months… maybe years? I don't even know which class is which; I'm not really paying much attention since my mind keeps going back to the memory of Elsa's lips against mine and the promise of feeling them again soon. Even if she still seems reluctant to initiate any physical show of affection… She'll get used to it though. I hope.

So I keep waiting impatiently for the time of my free hour, when I'll get to see Elsa once again. Rapunzel actually noticed my impatience and asked if something was wrong. I told her not to worry and that I'd explain everything later; I want to tell my friends about my relationship with Elsa when she's present.

So my free hour comes and I quickly lead Rapunzel and Belle (she's become a friend for me the past few weeks) towards the cafeteria, where I know Elsa would be (also Meg, but she's still friends with Snow and the others). The fair goddess I have the privilege of calling mine, is sitting at a secluded table reading a book (a usual), so I waste no time before running towards her and calling her name.

"Elsa!" I shout making her look up at me, smiling shyly… that is, until she sees my friends and pales considerably, her expression becoming one of fear.

_She really is afraid of human interaction uh?_

"Anna." She smiles nervously. I really want to make out with her here and now, but I know I have to introduce her first.

"Elsa?" Belle asks clearly surprised. "Is that really you? I thought you had left school."

"Yeah… uh… well…" She stammers obviously trying to come up with an excuse for her long absence.

"She was sick." I provide for her. "But I've been taking care of her and now she's better." My friends nod in understanding.

"I thought you two didn't really get along?" Belle asks.

"Uh… It's kind of a long story… wait, do you know each other?"

"We're together in math class." She nods. "We had to make a project for last week, but when she didn't show up I made it on my own".

"Sorry." Elsa says clearly ashamed. "It wasn't my intention."

"You were sick." I assure her as I place a hand on her shoulder. "I don't think Belle blames you for that." I turn to look at her so she confirms my words.

"No, of course not." She rushes to say. "Maybe you could even talk to the teacher and see if she can count the project as if you had made it with me?"

"That's very generous. But I don't think it'd be correct on my part." My girlfriend answers in a calm and composed voice, almost cold. I can almost literally see her barriers rising; she doesn't like talking to more than one person for long.

"Uhm… okay." Belle awkwardly answers as silence settles between us. Not even Rapunzel says anything; she seems to be very shocked of seeing me interact with Elsa in a friendly way.

"Uh… anyways." I break the silence. "I actually wanted you to meet Elsa because well… she's my girlfriend now." I say shyly and instantly Elsa's shoulders tense under my hand. I give her a reassuring squeeze.

"Wow! Congratulations!" Rapunzel says. "Though I must admit I wasn't expecting this."

"I know." I sigh. "We have a rather complicated story, but we're together now, and that's what really matters."

"I thought you were with Hans?" Belle says more as a question than a statement. I'm about to answer that not, definitely I was never _with _him, when certain someone appears behind her and gives me chills. Elsa's breathe hitches at his presence.

"Yeah, Anna. I thought you were with _me_." Hans says with a wicked sneer on his ugly face as his friends (Snow and the others) come to join him. I have the temptation of taking Elsa and run as fast as I can, but I know I have to be brave; it's time to put an end to this.

"You used me as your toy, but I was never your girlfriend." I boldly answer. He seems surprised by my reply, but he quickly covers it.

"You're my toy, indeed; _my_ property. And I specifically told you to stay away from plagues like these." He gestures to my friends and Elsa, especially the last one.

_"__These_ are my friends." I point to Punz and Belle. "And this is my girlfriend." Now I put both of my hands in Elsa's shoulders. "And each one of them is worth a thousand times more than you ever will."

"Your girlfriend?" Snow interferes. "You're a lesbian?!" She seems truly horrified. I feel Elsa sink more in the chair as all the eyes in the cafeteria now are pointing to us.

"Calm down Snow." Meg intercedes. "Don't be overly dramatic. It's completely natural."

"Completely natural?!" Hans exclaims turning to look at Meg with barely contained anger. "You disgusting freak! You turned Anna into _this_!"

"Homosexuality is not a cult, you know?" Meg mocks him, and he's now so angry I can almost see smoke coming out his ears.

"W-wait." Elsa interferes, getting up and surprising me; I didn't thought she'd be brave enough to speak to Hans. "Anna and I…" She sighs and looks at me with sad and sorrowful eyes, as if wanting to silently ask for forgiveness. Then she turns to her bullies and speak. "We're not really girlfriends." I feel a sudden pain in my chest, like a blast of ice is slowly penetrating into my heart, tearing it to pieces.

_What does she mean we're not girlfriends? We kissed! And after that I asked her to be mine and she said yes, so then why…? Why is she saying such horrible things? _

Silence soon fills our table, all eyes are pointed towards Elsa, including mine, urging her to explain herself, but she's notoriously nervous and words fail to leave her mouth as she opens it. It isn't until Hans speaks again that she finally reacts.

"Explain yourself. And I swear if you're not telling me the truth, you'll regret it." He prompts. Elsa filches slightly before regaining composure and speaking with her Ice Queen voice, just this time she does it with the authority of a queen.

"Anna said that just to get rid of you, and I helped her because I actually love her; we're friends, and I will protect her from you if it's the last thing I do. I won't let you hurt her anymore, or use her. As long as I live, you won't even get close to her ever again." As she speaks, her voice turns louder and angrier, full of sentiment, and if she hadn't said we're friends, I would've jumped over her and kiss her because of how she just stood up for me, but I'm utterly confused and feel like my heart is being painfully twisted. "And you." She now turns to Snow and the others. "Don't you dare doing anything bad to Anna. Thanks to you I have nothing to lose now, so I won't hesitate to do _anything_ to protect her, am I clear?" She says this with a snarl, like a big lion protecting it's pack, and I have to admit it's truly scary, like I'm once again seeing that "monster Elsa" mode she had when she was all depressed, just now directed to protect rather than harm. But I know this side of Elsa is rather unpredictable and that I have to do something to placate her before she loses control, so I step at her side and look defiantly to all my ex-friends.

"And if you ever touch Elsa, you'll have to deal with me too. I'm not being part of your disgusting practices ever again; hurting people is wrong, and there are not winners and losers; we're all the same… until we abuse someone and we become monsters."

"Fine." Hans sneers. "Stay with your new friends if you so want to, but just know now that I don't believe your empty treats. I'll make you regret your words, and soon you'll be begging to be with me again." At this he turns around and Snow, Ariel, Cinderella and Aurora follow him, but Meg stays behind. Ariel notices and calls for her, but she only answers:

"It's pretty clear that a war just started, and we have to decide our side. I don't know you, but I choose Anna." I give her a grateful smile that she promptly returns, as Ariel stares at her confused for a few seconds before realizing the others left her behind and quickly following their steps.

As soon as they're out of sight, Elsa sighs and collapses on her chair. Rapunzel and Belle look at each other for a moment before deciding to also sit but in the opposite side of the table, so I sit beside Elsa while Meg sits between me and Rapunzel. For a few seconds no one says anything, since we're all processing what just happened, until Meg finally voices the question that is in all of our heads.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" The question is clearly directed to Elsa, so she swallows, obviously trying to calm down before answering.

"Well, I… uh…" She briefly looks at me and then turns to my friends. "I'd prefer to talk to Anna first, if you don't mind."

My stomach twists painfully and my hands start sweating in anticipation, but I still get up and follow her as she exits the cafeteria; I want to know what that was all that about… and at the same time I don't. I'm afraid that it was all a lie I told myself or that Elsa changed her mind about being my girlfriend, and I know either option would crush my heart.

Elsa suddenly stops at an empty hall and, after making sure we're truly alone, turns to me.

"I'm sorry about that." She says, her face truly showing regret. "I know my words hurt you, but I want you to understand that it was necessary."

"H-how…? Elsa, please, explain it to me, because I honestly don't understand what happened." I say, my voice trembling slightly at the end. "A-are we still… girlfriends?" I ask hesitantly as my eyes fill with tears in anticipation, however, Elsa seems to notice this and soon places her gentle hands on my cheeks as she answers.

"Of course!" She exclaims, softly caressing my face with her warm and comforting fingers. "I-I thought you'd figure that I only said that to placate Hans' rage. I love being with you, I love you!" She says fervently and I smile, glad that she isn't breaking up with me.

"Good, because I'm not letting you go anytime soon." I answer as I gently place my left hand over her right one.

"But Anna… as much as I like being your girlfriend… we can't tell anyone about this." Her expression turns serious as she speaks.

"What? Why?!" I ask. I understand that she doesn't want Hans or his friends to know about our relationship, but should we really not tell _anyone_?

"Because…" She sighs and looks to the side. "Because most people won't understand. And they will hurt you. And I don't want you to get hurt… I don't want you to suffer like I did." Suddenly, tears appear on her beautiful eyes, and I feel pain again, only this time is for seeing Elsa suffering.

"Elsa… w-what are you talking about?" I ask, because she'd never told me about having problems because of her sexuality.

"I-I…" She swallows. "Father sent me here because…" Her lower lip trembles and I know she's about to cry; this must be a very painful memory. "Because I'm gay." She finally says as tears start falling like torrents down her cheeks. I've always hated seeing her like this; it almost physically pains me. So I hug her tightly and she soon clutches her arms around my waist as her whole body trembles, and I resist the urge to cry myself, because what kind of father would sent his daughter to the other side of the word just because she doesn't like men? Worse even, I suspect that he hates her because of it, since he wouldn't send her money, practically condemning her to starve to death.

"Elsa." I whisper to her ear. "Calm down, please. Maybe your father hated you because of it, but… not everyone will. For example, Meg is bisexual, so I don't think she'd judge us, Rapunzel is a good person who would never hate someone just because of who they choose to love; she even forgave me after I became a total bitch with her. And Belle… I don't really know her much, but she seems to be quite nice, and I don't think she'd hurt us either." I pause, noticing that Elsa's trembling has subsided, but still feeling her tears wetting my shoulder. "We don't have to hide our love." I continue. "Maybe Hans will get mad and try to hurt us, maybe some others will frown upon seeing us, but what we feel isn't wrong, and if they don't understand it, then they could go fuck themselves. Sorry for the language." I add, remembering that Elsa almost never says bad words. "We have each other, we'll protect each other, and as long as we are together, nothing will harm us."

"You really think so?" She ask with a soft voice.

"I do." I answer firmly.

"Then I'll trust you in this." She says as she separates slightly so we can look at each other's eyes. Then, she wipes the few tears that remain in her cheeks. "Thank you, Anna."

"Anytime." I smile. I still see fear and doubt in her, and I know it will take time before she actually believes what I just said, but I guess she'll have to see it with her own eyes.

"So… I guess you'll want to tell your friends the truth." She says anxiously.

"Of course, but you have nothing to worry about, really."

"Okay." She says with a tiny smile, and she looks so cute I can't help leaning in and stealing a kiss from her, partially because I've been wanting to all day, and partially because I hope it'll make her feel better. It surely makes _me_ feel like I'm in heaven.

"Come on." I say taking her hand. "They're waiting for us."

* * *

When we arrive to our table, Rapunzel is animatedly talking with Meg while Belle is reading some book, but as they notice us, the three of them turn to see us.

"Great you're here." Meg says, though I can't say if she's glad that we came back or she's being sarcastic because she's jealous of Elsa's hand holding mine.

"Yeah. "I solely answer.

"So, did you work out… whatever you had to work out?" Rapunzel asks.

"Yes." I say, remembering my little talk with Elsa. "And I just want to tell you that, despite what Elsa said to Hans, we _are_ girlfriends." At this, I turn to look at Elsa to make sure she's fine with this and see her blushing and smiling shyly.

"Yes." She says turning to look at me with a stare full of love and wonder, as if she can't believe we're actually a couple. "We are."


	18. The other side of abuse

**I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: The other side of abuse.**

It's been two weeks since Elsa came back to school. Two weeks of hell. I know what you're thinking, how can having your girlfriend with you at school can be hell? Well, it's not; Elsa is not the problem, actually having her with me is the only thing that has been keeping me going. The problem is Hans and is stupid friends. You see, once he found out about Elsa and I being girlfriends, he and his friends started bulling her again, but it was only for one day and then they stopped altogether, probably because Elsa apparently didn't really mind much (even if she then came to me with a sad expression searching for comfort, but hey, they don't need to know that). After that, well… they started picking on me. And at first I thought it was fine, that I could endure it if it meant they wouldn't bother Elsa anymore, but it soon became too much for me.

At first it was just silly (though hurtful) pranks, like the ones they used to play to Elsa. Making me trip, throwing food at me, pulling my hair, stealing my belongings, calling me names, etc. Those, I thought I could very well bear it at least until summer break, but Hans soon got bored of them, and his aggressions became quite painful, and I don't mean only emotionally. While Snow and the others kept bulling me as usual, Hans started molesting me; He'd come to me and try to kiss me, to touch me, and when I rejected him, he'd physically hurt me, and I would always end up with new bruises.

Of course, it wasn't long before Elsa noticed this, and she kept questioning me about my wounds, but I didn't want her to worry, and I was afraid that she may leave me if she thought she could protect me that way, so I always answered I had fell and fake a smile. If she kept insisting, then I'd just kiss her until she (well, both of us) forgot about it. Not that I needed an excuse to kiss her, but it was a rather good method.

So I haven't told anyone, not even my friends, even if they have been really nice and supportive towards Elsa and me. It's not like I don't trust them or anything… I just fear what they'll say. They'll say I have to tell the principal, and I don't want to do that, because then he'll tell my parents and they'll freak out and lock me in the house again, like they did ten years ago, and honestly, I prefer to keep being molested and beaten by Hans.

But anyways, enough with the sad stuff. Today, as always, I walked Elsa to her class, and kissed her before turning to leave to mine, not before promising her that I'd meet her at the cafeteria during my free period. Now, I'm walking towards said place to meet my girlfriend; I do so fast and procuring not to be seen by anyone, hoping not to run into Hans and his friends today. But of course, I'm not that lucky.

I'm running downstairs when I practically collide with Snow.

"Hey, look where you're going, you dyke!" She spats.

"Sorry." I mumble before ducking my head and trying to move past her.

"Apology not accepted." She says as she grabs my arm and throws me (or tries, anyways) against the wall. I glare at her for a moment before hastily freeing my arm from her grip.

"Well, bad for you." I just say with an angry voice. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go see my girlfriend, who is undoubtedly the fairest of them all." I know how Snow was obsessed with being the fairest, so I smirk when she gets so angry her face turns bright red and her fists clench in anger.

"What do you know about beauty?!" She yells.

"Feminine beauty? Quite a lot, I mean, I'm in love with a woman after all." I smirk recklessly, enjoying the way I can make her lose control. However, when I'm about to just walk away, glad that this confrontation went good for me, I see her smile wickedly as she eyes something at my back. I'm about to turn and see what she's looking at, when I feel a rather strong push before the ground beneath my feet suddenly disappears and I fall a few meters before landing with a quite loud and sickening crack.

I turn back, confused about what happened and see that I'm lying at the base of the stairs, while Snow, and a very smiling Hans now stand where I was just seconds ago. However, as they run away, I start noticing a sharp pain in my right arm, and I grit my teeth as I grab my wrist trying to ease the pain, but it's too strong. I know this kind of pain very well; I probably broke my arm.

Tears start streaming down my eyes without me being able to stop them, and soon rather loud sobs start shaking my entire body, that is, until the pain is so strong I can't even breathe, much less cry. I'm barely aware of the curious mob watching me, or the voices saying someone should call the prefect; I can only feel the pain.

Suddenly, a wonderful voice filters through my ears, like a ray of sunlight in the middle of the storm.

"Anna!" Elsa's voice sounds rather worried as she kneels at my side, softly touching my shoulder. I open my eyes briefly, to see her beautiful blue eyes, staring at me with concern. "Who did this to you?" She asks with fury, resentment, like she's gonna kill whoever it was, but as tempting as it is to just tell her and let her avenge me, I know somewhere in the back of my mind that I shouldn't.

"I-I fell." I answer weakly. "Please… i-infirmary." Elsa seems to sense my discomfort because she immediately helps me get into a standing position, and in that moment the crowd disperses to give us some space. Apparently someone had gone call the prefect to tell him about what happened, because he arrives in that moment to guide us to the infirmary. I clutch firmly to Elsa the whole way.

* * *

When we arrive, the prefect leaves and we walk in to find the nurse, who greets us with a kind smile, which fades as soon as she sees my pained expression.

"Please, sit her down." She exclaims pointing to one of the three white beds that are there. We do as she said and she's soon at my side. "What happened?" She asks.

"I fell." I say trough gritted teeth, trying to ignore the pain. "I think I broke my arm."

"Oh, poor thing." The nurse says compassionately. "It must hurt a lot. However, I'll have to make sure that you broke your arm. I need you to move it, and it'll probably hurt, but I need you to stay calm. Okay?" I gulp before nodding and extending my broken arm towards the woman as I press my head against Elsa's shoulder, searching for a little comfort. She pulls me closer, which makes me relax slightly.

"Good, please try moving your fingers, can you do it?" I try to do as she says, but I just manage to let out a strangled cry before stopping. Elsa caresses my back, but it does little to ease the pain. "Okay, now I need you to move your hand; up and down, left to right and in circles." Again, I try, but the pain won't allow me.

"I-I can't." I choke out. "T-too m-much pain."

"It's okay." The nurse answers. "Now I'll see your arm. Please don't move." At this, she lifts my the sleeve to reveal my injured arm, but I dare not look at it, since I know it must be a horrible sight. "Now, tell me if you can bear this." She says as she starts cautiously touching my fingers to then slowly move towards my wrist. I grit my teeth, but I know the pain still isn't unbearable, so I tell the nurse to continue. It wasn't until she reaches the center of my forearm, that it becomes too much for me.

"S-stop." I say after letting out another cry, and the nurse obeys.

"Yes, you probably have a broken arm." She says. "I'll call the hospital, please stay here."

The woman goes to call for an ambulance, as she had said and I stay alone with Elsa, quietly crying on her shoulder as she says calming words to my ear. She's a very good girlfriend, I think I couldn't have asked for a better one; she only wants to make sure I'm okay, and I'm grateful for that.

Once the ambulance arrives, we both get in at my insistence (yes, they wanted to leave Elsa out, but I didn't let them) and the paramedics immobilize my arm, put an ice-pack on it and give me some painkillers, but it still isn't enough to make the pain disappear, even combined with Elsa's tender caresses. It all gets even worse once we arrive at the hospital and they separate Elsa from me, leading me first to the X-ray room and then to the emergency department, where the doctor comes to align my bones.

Let me tell you something, I would've preferred to be left without the possibility of moving my arm correctly. Bone alignment is the most painful experience _ever_. Seriously, it's possibly even more painful than breaking an arm… I'm not quite sure though because they put me a local anesthetic, so it didn't really hurt _that_ much, but still.

After that, the nurse comes to put a cast on my arm and explains to me how to take care of it and then, as the doctor comes to prescribe me some painkillers, my mother and Elsa come in to see me. I'm glad not to be alone anymore, since their presence is quite comforting. I would've liked to see my father here too, but I know only one of them can get out of work when needed, so I don't complain; he was the one to take me to the hospital when I broke my leg eight years ago when I was learning to ride a bike after all.

Then, we head to my house for lunch and, as my mother returns to her job once Elsa assures her she'll stay with me, I decide I'll rather spend the rest of the evening making out with my girlfriend. At first, she insist we have to make our homework, but when I pout and say I'm not feeling very well, she lays me down on my bed and, at my insistence, joins me as I turn on the T.V. to watch some romantic movie as we cuddle. Sleep is about to take me (probably a side effect of those damn painkillers), but I fight against it as I passionately kiss Elsa, even daring to use tongue and, to my relief, this time she doesn't giggle saying it's weird. I think I'm getting good at it, if the soft moans that escape from her throat are any indication. However, it isn't long before sleep finally takes me and, by the time I wake up, the moon is high in the sky and Elsa is gone. I go to sleep again waiting for the day to arrive, wanting to be in her comforting arms again. Those arms that always make me feel like nothing can harm me.

* * *

Today Elsa told me something rather weird; she told me to meet her at schoolyard together with my friends, Rapunzel, Meg and Belle. This by its own wouldn't be strange; after all, we see each other daily during our free periods, but she said it in a very serious tone and, instead of just sending me a message, she came to my classroom just to tell me. I think something's going on. I just hope it isn't anything bad.

Fortunately, the lots of people who have come to sign my cast and make silly drawings on it have kept me distracted, but I can't help feeling unease, especially since I don't have any idea what Elsa wants to speak about. Is it something I said yesterday while sleeping? Is she mad at me? She isn't breaking up with me, is she? I honestly don't know, and I don't think anything is really bad between Elsa and I, but then again, I'm not very good reading people, if what happened with Hans and the others is any indication.

So I'm left worrying and thinking about it in excess until my free period finally comes. I almost run to the school yard and happily wave at my friends, who start asking a lot of questions, first about what happened yesterday (I only tell them I fell), what does it feel like to break an arm and for how long I'll have to wear the cast. I answer all their questions and complement my answers telling them, for example, how difficult it is to write with my left hand, even if the teachers allowed me to bring my laptop. However, it isn't long until Elsa finally shows up.

"Anna." She calls me, making me turn around to smile cheerily at her (talking with my friends helped me forget about my doubts) before practically jumping into her arms and kissing her eagerly. I hear her hum in delight, which makes me smile into the kiss, before she gently pushes me to make some distance between us (not much though).

"Hey Els, how was your day?" I ask.

"Oh, you know, the usual." She shrugs. "Well, except from my little talk with Ariel."

"You talked with Ariel?" Meg says in disbelief. I don't say it out loud, but I too find it hard to believe.

"She didn't bothered you, did she?" I ask, knowing they could've decided to start bulling Elsa again.

"No, no." She assures me. "But she told me something rather interesting." She pauses before sighing and looking me at the eyes. "Why didn't you tell me Hans pushed you yesterday?"

_Oh crap. So this is what this was all about._

In that moment I know I'm screwed and that I have to say something to convince them Ariel was lying, but they keep talking not giving me an opportunity to speak.

"What?!" Rapunzel exclaims. "He did? I n-never thought he'd go that far."

"Oh, believe me, Hans is capable of _anything_ when he's mad." Meg intervenes.

"But why did he do it? What does he get from hurting you?" Belle asks.

"It doesn't matter." Elsa says firmly. "We have to make him pay."

"Wait, Elsa." I quickly interrupt her placing my good hand on her shoulder. "Ariel was lying; he didn't push me. She just wants you to lose control. I just fell, really." I lie, but I've never been particularly good at lying, and I want them to believe me so badly, but I'm too nervous. I just hope it isn't noticeable.

"Why do you keep lying to me, Anna?" Elsa asks with a rather sad voice, so sad in fact, that it makes me want to admit the truth, specially seeing those blue eyes looking at me in a very convincing way, but the fear is holding me back. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do." I rush to say, before stopping and biting my lip while deviating my gaze to the side, preparing myself to lie again. "But he didn't push me, I'm telling the truth."

"Anna, please. I just want to protect you."

"You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid." I insist, even if I really am; ever since I left Hans and his friends I've been really scared; of being an outcast, of getting bullied by my classmates, of not being strong enough to endure it all… but I can't admit it. I am strong, I am brave. I have to be.

"Yes, you are." Elsa contradicts me.

"And you _should_ be." Meg seconds her. "Anna, Hans is dangerous. We both know that."

"But what can we do, what can _I_ do?" I yell turning to face her, barely able to contain my tears of despair and frustration. "He won't leave me alone as long as we're both in the same school and you know it." I pause, trying to calm myself down. "The only solution is to wait until this year is over. Then he'll go to college and we'll never see him again."

"And let him get away unpunished?" Rapunzel asks in disbelief. "I don't think that's a great plan."

"I agree." Belle speaks up. "If he really pushed you, then you should tell the principal. He broke your arm after all!"

"But he didn't…" I'm about to deny it again, when I catch sight of Elsa's stern look and close my mouth again. "Okay." I sigh. "He _did _push me, but…"

"But what?" Meg says angrily. "There's nothing to argue about this. You're gonna tell the principal."

"No, I'm not!" I yell at her, looking defiantly at the others, to see if one of them will be stupid enough to contradict me. "I'm not telling anyone, and neither are you! You have no idea what that would do to me!" I feel tears streaming down my cheeks, and this time I don't even fight to keep them from falling; I know it's useless. In that moment, Elsa pulls me into a hug, and even if I really hate her right now for putting me in this situation, I know I could really use her comforting arms right now, so I let her hold me. "W-we can't tell her." I plead between sobs. "W-we can't. P-please."

"Shhh." Elsa says softly. "Please calm down. We won't tell anyone if you don't want to, just… please, tell me why."

"I-I…" I swallow. This is getting was too emotional, and too close to the topic of my little secret. "I don't want to be locked up again. I don't want my parents to be concerned about my safety. I-I don't want to be apart from you." The last part I say it with a small voice, and even to me it sounds really vulnerable. I can't help it; I _am_ vulnerable in this moment.

"Anna… what happened that made your parents lock you up for ten years?" Rapunzel asks, curious but also concerned. I shake my head, not wanting to talk about it, but she insists. "Please, you can tell us anything. We are your friends."

"I-I just… it was nothing, really. My parents only got all paranoid." I say in an attempt to avoid the topic. It's not like I don't trust them or anything, but I've been trying to forget what happened for too many years. I tried erasing it of my memories to try and live a normal life, but the truth is that said event changed my entire life and molded me into who I am now. I never forgot it, but I don't want it to return full force either.

"Anna, come on, we're here for you, remember?" Belle says with a soft voice and Meg nods in agreement.

"Please Anna, we want to know." Elsa adds as she pulls me even closer to her. I want to keep saying no, but the truth is… I owe her, no, I owe _them_ an explanation. I'm asking them to keep quite a huge secret after all. Besides, I would have probably ended up telling them sooner or later.

"O-okay." I agree with a shaky voice before taking a deep breath, preparing myself to tell the secret I haven't told anybody. "A-as you know, it happened when I was five. In winter, I loved to play with the snow at a nearby park, and in summer I loved going there with my parents to get some ice cream. I also liked making new friends. But my parents were never there and I felt _so_ alone." My grip on Elsa tightens as I prepare myself to tell the most painful part of the story. "One day I escaped and went to the park, and I met a man who was very friendly with me. He bought me ice-cream and then he led me to my house. This repeated every day for a short period of time…until one day he…" Intense sobs interrupt me and I'm suddenly unable to continue until Elsa rests her chin on the crown of my head and caress softly my back till I'm calm enough to keep going. "O-one day he… He didn't brought me home. He put me into a van and drove away. When we were far enough he tied my arms and he put a gag on me… and when I resisted he hit me." I pause, feeling my sobs lessening considerably as I near the almost happy ending. "Then he called my parents and asked for money. They gave it to him and saved me, but after that they were too fearful to let me get out of the house…" A new wave of sobs shakes me. "I'm afraid something like that will happen again if they knew about Hans."

They all stay quiet for a few seconds, probably wondering how I could have been so stupid, judging me for getting into the same trap again, but this time with Hans, even if I'm a woman now and should know how to take care of myself.

_See? That's exactly what my parents will think of me! They'll lock me in my house for my own safety._

"But Anna, abduction is a lot more serious than bullying." Rapunzel points out, breaking the silence and making me open my eyes in shock. So they don't think I'm stupid and should be held prisoner all my life? "I don't think your parents would lock you up this time."

"Yes, and besides, you have all of us to support you." Belle adds.

"If you want, I could go to your house today after school and be by your side as you inform your parents about it." Elsa offers. "I'm sure I could convince them of not locking you up again. And then, tomorrow, we could tell the principal."

_What? Seriously? I-I don't understand. How Can they be so sure? How can they all be so supportive?_

"Y-you think that would work?" I ask, desperately wanting to believe her.

"Yes, please, don't give up."

"Okay, as long as you're by my side." I agree, relaxing into her arms. The truth is, I'm still afraid, but if my friends could understand it, then surely my parents will too, right?

* * *

We're walking towards the bus station as we always do, just this time Elsa's coming to my house to help me tell my parents about Hans. I'm still not quite sure it will work, but I'm trying to smile and be optimistic, after all, if Elsa is at my side, what could happen?

We are about to get into the bus when Elsa opens her backpack to retrieve the money before desperately searching for something and sighing.

"Uh, Anna. I forgot my notebook." She says embarrassed. Honestly that doesn't surprise me, since she insisted on carrying my belongings for me, even if I assured her I could do it quite well with only one arm.

"Oh! That's okay, don't worry. Go, I'll wait for you here." I assure her.

"Alright. I'll be right back." She says before turning around and running like there's no tomorrow towards the school. I shake my head and bent to retrieve my backpack (which Elsa dropped before leaving). I then retrieve my cellphone and start playing flappy bird to kill some time when I hear a rather scary voice as I feel something sharp press against my back.

"Hello Anna."

My stomach turns.

"Hans."


	19. Close call

**Warning: Violence, blood and attempted rape (nothing graphic).**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Close call.**

"Hans." I say with my voice full of terror, because he is behind me. With a knife pressing on my back. And we're alone.

"If you scream, I will kill you." He threatens me. "Now, do exactly as I tell you and you won't be hurt… much." He adds, his voice full of malice, and I close my eyes for a moment trying to calm down, to figure a way out of this situation. But all I manage is to panic even more.

"P-please. Don't do this." I say, even though I know there's no way in hell he's going to listen to my pleas.

"Oh, Anna." He says in a fake condescending tone. "You don't think you'll stop me with some pretty words, do you? Besides, you don't even know what I'm going to do with you. I promise it'll be fun… at least for me." He adds, whispering so close to my ear that I can actually feel his breath.

"Please Hans, you may be a bully, but you're not a murderer." I try to reason with him.

"You're right, Anna. I'm not a murderer, and I don't want to become one, so please cooperate and don't force me to kill you, will you?" I swallow, looking frantically to each side, searching for someone to help, but right now we're alone in the street. And Elsa must be far away at this point. "Now walk." He orders with a stern voice, pressing the tip of his knife more firmly into my shirt, so it actually touches my skin. I don't have an option; I have to obey and do as he says, at least until I find a way to escape.

He leads me through a deserted street, and then we turn to another one, darker and emptier than the last, and then another even creepier one. I don't like it; and all I want is to run, to scream. But I'm afraid that he's probably faster than me, and he has a knife. I just hope he won't do anything too bad. Maybe he's just trying to scare me? I mean, he wouldn't kill me right? He isn't a criminal.

_Yet._

The thought gives me chills, but I don't have time to dwell on it because in that moment my cellphone (that I'm still holding on my hand) rings, startling me. I stare at the screen, seeing the caller is Elsa.

_That's it! Elsa! She will save me. I just have to pick up._

However, just as I'm about to bring the phone to my ear, Hans takes it from me and tosses it to the ground.

"You didn't think I'd let you tell your pathetic excuse of a girlfriend about this, did you? I don't want anyone to interfere with my plans." He says, and all I can do is stare at my broken cellphone for a moment before resigning to my fate and continue walking.

After two more turns, we find ourselves in a dead end, a dark and dirty alley full of trash that smells like it has been used as a bathroom _a lot_. Just the type of place you'd expect to find a crime scene in. I guess he picked it well after all, I mean, I don't know what he's gonna do to me here, but I bet it's nothing legal.

He pushes me forwards when he realizes I've stopped at the middle of the alley, making me trip before regaining my balance, just a few feet away from the wall. He's at my back again in an instant.

"I was expecting for our first time to be in a nicer place, but, I guess this will have to do."

I chill runs through my spine as I understand the meaning of his words.

_Our first time?! Oh god, he's going to rape me! This is much worse than I thought._

"Help!" I scream at the top of my lungs without thinking it twice, only to end up colliding with the wall a second latter as his body presses tightly against mine, pinning me there. However, I'm still not going to give up. I won't let him rape me. "Help! Please!" I say again, before I'm effectively silenced by Hans hand covering my mouth.

"Shut up, bitch." He says, his voice now having a predatory tone that makes me shake in fear. "No one is going to help you. No one can hear you." I start to tear up because he's probably right. I should have screamed sooner, regardless if there was no one around. There were more possibilities of someone hearing me then, but I guess I didn't think that trough; I thought Hans was just trying to scare me, I never thought he'd rape me. And now I'm screwed. I'm so stupid! However, I'm not going to give up just yet. If no one's going to help me, then I guess I'll have to help myself.

First, I carefully analyze the situation. I'm pinned against the wall, Hans has his whole body pressed against my back not letting me move, and has one hand on my mouth and the other one pressing a knife against me. This means that, if I somehow managed to turn around and punch him, he wouldn't be able to block it. However, to do that, I have to make him separate from me, but how?

Suddenly, a very crazy idea comes to my mind and, before I can better think of it and decide it's suicide, I just bite down in his hand, which he immediately retreats, and before he's able to recover, I trample on his left foot, making him stumble back, giving me enough room to quickly turn around and punch him with my left hand (my weaker one, unfortunately, but the only one I can use right now) with such strength, I send him to the ground. Seeing this, I don't waste time and just try to run away, only now registering a sharp pain on my back, but I decide to just ignore it. However, just as I'm passing at Hans' side, he grabs my ankle and I fall. In my broken arm. And it hurts like fuck. I scream in pain.

For a few moments I'm not able to even breathe, as the pain blocks everything else. I'm not able to move, I'm not able to fight when a very angry Hans grabs my hair and pulls me into a standing position, and yells something at me before he starts repeatedly crashing my head against the wall. My vision starts to fade. Everything is blurry, and I know I'm going to pass out at any moment. I know I should resist it, I know that if I lose consciousness now, when I wake up (_if_ I wake up) I won't like what I see. However, I can't help it and soon everything turns black.

The last thing I hear before I'm completely submerged in darkness is Elsa's beautiful voice.

* * *

The first thing I register is that there's a huge drum inside my head. Or at least that's what it feels like. My broken arm also hurts, just as it did yesterday. And there's a sharp pain at my lower back, on the left side, extending towards my abdomen. Everything hurts. I wish I had just stayed asleep.

_Wait? Asleep? No, I wasn't asleep… I was unconscious!_

I open my eyes with a start, and the first thing I can think of is that it's a good thing that I still have all my clothes on. However, the relief I felt at first doesn't last long, as I hear light panting at my side and I turn to see Elsa lying on the ground, firmly clutching her stomach. And there's blood in her hands. And for the expression she has on her face I can tell that she's in pain.

"Elsa!" I scream as I run to her, ignoring my own pain to go and ease hers. I kneel at her side and notice that there is a _huge_ stain of blood on her shirt, her hair is messy, and her face sweaty, and with signs of bruises that get darker and darker every second. "Elsa, are you okay?!" I say frantically, almost hysterical, trying to keep myself from panicking, because that's not going to help Elsa. She looks up at me with eyes almost closing, but I can see that, despite the pain, she's happy to see me.

"Ah… A-an… A-Anna." She manages to say with a hoarse voice before she closes her eyes and her whole body relaxes.

"Elsa!" I scream before leaning in to feel if she's still breathing. She is, but it's very slow and weak. I'm sure this isn't normal.

_Damn! Why did she have to come? Why couldn't she just take her time retrieving her notebook? I will never forgive myself if she dies for trying to save me._

I notice that tears are already falling in torrents from my eyes, but I ignore them as I search in Elsa's pants to see if she brought her cellphone. She did, fortunately, so I take it out and quickly dial 911. The few seconds it takes before they answer are the longest of my life.

"Hello? 911, what is your emergency?" I voice says at the other end.

"H-hi." I answer, cringing when I notice my voice (as well as my hand holding the cellphone) is shaking, and my throat is painfully swollen. I just hope she can understand me. "My friend and I were attacked. I'm fine, but she's bleeding… she has a wound at her stomach." A sob interrupts me, but I fight to keep myself from crying. "She just closed her eyes and went unconscious." I'm hyperventilating now, fighting the urge to cry, but it's getting harder every second.

"Breath." She instructs me. "Please, calm down. I'll need you to tell me where you are." At least she gives me something to focus on, to distract me from Elsa's bruised face and from Elsa's bloody clothes. I search with my eyes the name of the street and soon find it.

"We're in a dead end, which leads to a street called South A-133."

"Alright, can you tell me the name of the streets between where you are?" I don't want to leave Elsa's side, but I know it's necessary, so I get up and quickly run to see both names, then say them to the woman before returning to Elsa, kneeling beside her. "Very well, the paramedics should be already on their way. They'll be there shortly, but I need you to do something until they arrive."

"O-okay." I say with a shaky voice.

"Can you see the wound?" She asks. I want to say no, but I decide it's for the best, so I just lift Elsa's shirt until a small but deep hole full of blood is shown at the right side of her stomach, near her belly button. It looks _bad_.

"Yes." I say.

"How is the flow of blood?"

"It's… steady. The blood is slowly coming out. It doesn't stop." I say, chocking a sob.

"That's a good sign." She says, her voice sounding relieved. "But I still need you to press strongly just above her wound until the bleeding stops, can you do that?"

"Y-yes." I say as I put the cellphone on my shoulder before pressing my hand on her wound, grimacing when I feel the blood. After applying a little more pressure, the bleeding stops.

"Alright, now don't hang up until the help arrives." She says before proceeding to ask for my name, my age, emergency number, as well as Elsa's. I answer to all absentmindedly, just wishing with all my heart that the paramedics arrive soon, so Elsa will be okay and this whole nightmare will be over.

* * *

I'm now at the hospital, sitting next to Elsa's bed. She's stable now; they already closed her wound and she's received a blood transfusion. However they don't know yet if they can release her; she hasn't woken up and it's already been an hour. They think she hit her head when she fell to the ground. Oh, and there's also all those punches and kicks she received on her face and stomach. I hate to see her like this. I should be in her place. Why is she always the one getting hurt?

They say she'll probably wake up soon, though. Or at least they hope.

I, on the other hand, am okay. Well, as okay as I can be. They gave me painkillers for my arm, bandaged my head (which is still throbbing painfully) and put some stitches on my back, because apparently Hans knife cut me when I turned around to punch him. It's going to leave a huge scar.

This time, both of my parents are here with me. They came running as soon as they heard about what happened. They haven't said anything, probably seeing me so stressed over Elsa, but I guess as long as we reach home, they won't ever let me out again. Not that I blame them; I was an oblivious fool.

I haven't told them yet that Hans was going to rape me, actually I haven't told them any details, just that he attacked me and Elsa saved me. That's the only reason they let me stay. They are drinking some coffee right now, but they should be back soon, as well as Kai and Gerda, who almost had a panic attack when she saw Elsa here. I bet it was kind of a dèja vu to her, since Elsa is here again because of a severe loss of blood. I hope Kai was already able to calm her down.

I'm so caught up on my thoughts that when I hear a soft voice calling my name, I almost jump.

"Anna?" Elsa says, her eyes finally opened and looking at me intently.

"Elsa!" I exclaim, surprised and relieved as I jump on her bed to kiss her as hard as I can, until we both are left breathless. It's a desperate kiss, one that doesn't exactly say 'I love you', but 'I don't want to lose you'. And suddenly, I'm tearing up, and I can't help it, because this is probably the happiest moment of all my life. I don't know what I'd have done if Elsa hadn't woken up. "Elsa." I repeat, trying to contain my sobs, so glad to be feeling her warm body again, her arms wrapping around my shoulders, glad to see that she's okay.

"A-are you alright?" She asks, and I can't help laughing because it's ridiculous that _she_'s asking that question.

"You're asking if _I'm_ alright?" I say chuckling. "I wasn't the one who spent an hour unconscious! Don't ever do that again, you hear me? Don't do that again." At this point I'm not sure if I'm laughing or crying, or trying to do both at the same time.

"I'm sorry." She says.

"Don't apologize, you idiot." I answer, separating slightly from her embrace to look at those beautiful eyes. "You saved me, and I'm eternally grateful for that." I pause, trying to gather my thoughts, to tell her why I'm not glad that she showed up. "But nothing in this world is worth losing you."

"Well, I feel the same way about you." She says, blushing and smiling and, despite her hair is a mess, and her face still looks a little pale, I think she must be the cutest thing I've ever seen. And I can't help leaning in and giving her a small peck before letting her continue. "And there's no way I was going to let Hans kill you."

"He wasn't going to kill me." I say before I can think better of it. And then I bite my lip, regretting having open my damn mouth.

"But I thought…" She pauses, taking a deep breath. "What was he trying to do?" She asks, worry clearly manifesting on her voice.

"H-he…" I start, but reconsider. I don't want to distress her, it can't be good for her in her current state. "Nothing, he was just trying to scare me." I brush it off.

"Really?" She frowns. "Because to do that he didn't need to smash your head against the wall until you fell unconscious."

_Crap! Why does she have to be so smart?_

"Uhm… yeah… Well, maybe he _was_ trying to do something bad." I speak again without thinking, but quickly try to correct it. "He probably wanted to beat me and that's all." I cringe, because in the tone of my voice, is obvious that I'm lying.

"Anna…" She gives me an intense stare, one that says she isn't going to accept another lie, so I just spill it up without being able to contain myself.

"Okay, _maybe_ he wanted to rape me." I admit, and saying it out loud actually makes it sound even more awful than in my head, and suddenly I'm remembering with a lot of detail what happened between my meeting with him and the moment I passed out, and I realize that, if not for Elsa, I'd probably be naked in some dark alley, having been raped by Hans, and then I'd have to spend countless days trying to get over the trauma that such situation would've undoubtedly caused me (that is, if I was lucky and he didn't kill me). The worst part is that it's all my fault. If I hadn't talk to Hans that first day of school, if I hadn't agreed to be his friend with benefits, none of this would've happened.

Suddenly, I'm crying. I'm crying because I'm just a fool, an idiot, a danger to myself and to others. My parents were right to lock me up for ten years, I…

"Anna?" Elsa's worried voice pulls me from my depressing thoughts and I look up to see her concerned expression as she softly touches my cheek, wiping my tears with her thumb. "Don't cry. It didn't happen. You're safe now." She tries to reassure me.

"Yes, but because of my stupidity you got hurt." And suddenly I'm crying even louder, because it's not the first time Elsa suffers because I'm not smart enough, the first being all those times I bullied her.

"It wasn't your fault." She says with a soothing voice. "It was Hans'."

"Yes, but if I had figured out he was a bad guy since the beginning, then…"

"Anna, you weren't the first to be tricked by Hans' charm." She says in a very serious tone. "You can ask anyone at school, and they'll all tell you that he had many lovers the past years, and each one of them was left alone and emotionally destroyed."

"Yeah, but I bet he didn't rape any of them." I protest.

"You don't know that." She answers in a sad voice. "But even if he didn't, that'd be only because they all submitted themselves to him, only to be tossed in his "trash can" as soon as he'd used them. You weren't stupid; you were smart. If you had continued in that sick relationship any longer, you'd be more damaged than you are now." She pauses. "And so would I. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. I can't stand seeing you suffering." At this, tears appear at the corner of her eyes, before she pulls me close and holds me as if there's no tomorrow. Honestly I'm concerned about her wound for a moment, but since she doesn't seem to care, I decide to just hug her back, letting her give me the warmth and comfort I so desperately need right now.

And we stay like that, crying at each other's shoulders for a few moments, until our sobs finally start to subside.

That's when the door opens and the doctor enters.

* * *

The doctor chastises me for not calling him immediately when Elsa woke up, and also for upsetting her. I apologize and decide to leave him alone with Elsa while I go tell Kai and Gerda that she's already awake. I do exactly that and they gladly come to see her, as well as my own parents, who insisted they wanted to thank Elsa personally for saving me. Honestly, I was worried that the doctor was going to say that she needed to be alone, but fortunately, he let us all pass to see her.

The first one to run towards Elsa and practically crushing her in a hug is Gerda. She was so relieved when I told her Elsa was alright! Seriously, she seems to be her adoptive mother. And Kai was also very glad to see her already partially recovered. Elsa was a little uncomfortable though, probably because she isn't used to someone caring about her (someone who is a parental figure, at least), which is really sad if you think about it, but at least now she has them, and seems to be at least happily surprised that they both came to see her.

The next ones to talk to her are my parents. They thank her profusely for saving me and also ask her to testify against Hans when we go to trial (yes, the police have already find him and put him in custody, but for some reason, there _still_ needs to be a trial). I just hope he goes to jail for the rest of his pathetic life. He's already eighteen after all.

However, the Hans topic leads to questions, and Elsa seems like she's not going to lie. Oh well, I guess my time as a free human is over now.

"So, Elsa." My father asks. "How did you find Anna?"

"Well… first I called her, after some girls from high school told me Hans was going to do something bad to her, but she didn't answer. I kept calling her though, and it turned out to be a good thing, since I was able to hear her cellphone when I started to search for her in those dark streets. Then I heard screams and ran into that direction until I finally found her."

_Wow, I was lucky Hans took my phone and tossed it to the ground._

"When I found her…" She pauses swallowing. "Hans was smashing her head against a wall…" Her eyes start to tear up, probably not ready yet to remember that without crying just yet. It's too soon for both of us, so I don't let her continue.

"It's okay." I say. "You don't have to describe it." I'm glad when my father agrees, nodding and placing a hand on Elsa's shoulder.

"Anna is right. All that matters is that you saved our baby and we'll be eternally in debt with you." He says with a gentle smile, and I'm glad Elsa's already in my father's right side.

"It was nothing." She answers politely. "I couldn't just let him ra…" She stops, her eyes widening, before looking at me with doubt in her eyes. Honestly, I don't want her to tell them, but I know the truth will still come out in the trial so…

"It's alright. You can tell them." I sigh, looking at my parent's confused faces. Elsa sighs too and her shoulders drop, like it's physically exhausting for her to bear that knowledge.

"From what Anna told me… he was going to rape her."

"WHAT?!" I'm sure the whole hospital heard my parents scream. Not that I blame them; it must be pretty shocking to know that your daughter has been mere seconds away from being raped. I still try to focus on the important details.

"But he didn't. And he's surely going to jail, so…

"But why would he try to rape you?!" My mother says with an overly concerned tone.

"I don't know." I shrug, looking to the ground. "Maybe because I was the first one who didn't want to have sex with him."

"We have to make him pay." My father says rather angrily. His face is now red with rage and his veins are protruding. He's also clenching his fists, like he wants to beat Hans into a bloody pulp.

"We will." My mother says, trying to placate him. "At the trial." She remarks with that stern voice that usually gives me chills. Father seems like he wants to protest, but fortunately he stays quiet; we both know this is a battle he won't win.

"Alright." He agrees, clearly fighting to calm down. "Meanwhile, Anna will stay at home all the time. I don't want another incident."

"WHAT?!" This time is my turn to scream. "You can't do that! I'm about to finish this year!"

"I won't let you be in danger again." He argues, and suddenly tears are falling dawn my cheeks and my jaw is clenched so tight I think I might break my teeth from the pressure. The strong headache is also coming back, but I don't' care about any of this; I'm not going to let them lock me again.

"Well, I don't care what you say, I'm not spending another decade talking to paintings just because you don't deem the world to be safe enough for me! I can take care of myself! If was ever in danger it was because I didn't know anything about the world thanks to your stupid actions!" I spat, being incredibly disrespectful and not caring the consequences. All I want is to let them know I won't give up without a fight.

"We will discuss it later." My mother tries to intervene, but unfortunately for her, I have the same temper as my father.

"No!" We both yell. "We'll solve this now!"

"Uhm… excuse me." A shy voice rises in the middle of our screams, and I turn to look at Elsa, still lying on her bed, seeing the whole scene unfold in front of her. I feel bad that she had to witness this. How inconsiderate on my part. "If I could give you my opinion…"

"Look, I appreciate that you saved Anna." My father interrupts her. "But this is a decision that we…"

"Let her talk." My mother cuts him off, raising her hand. He looks at her for one moment before sighing and turning to Elsa. Now we're all waiting for her to talk.

"Uh…" She fidgets, clearly nervous. "Well, I know you probably already know this, but I still want to point it out." She says almost too formal, like she's giving a speech in front of thousands of people. "The reason Anna doesn't want to stay at home is not only that she _likes_ being outside, but that she's _afraid_ of being alone." My eyes widen. How did she even know that?! "Not only afraid." She continues after a pause. "She's terrified. Being locked in again would destroy her, and I'm sure none of us want that." She looks at them with pleading eyes. "You don't want her to get hurt, and I get that… but by locking her again, you'd hurt her more than anything Hans could ever do." She pauses, swallowing and taking a deep breath, like she's about to say something important. "Besides, she wouldn't be alone. She has friends now, who will look out for her and keep her out of trouble, and…" For a moment it seems like she isn't going to continue, but after only a second of hesitation, she seems to come to a resolution. "She has _me_. And I will protect her with my life if necessary; she helped me when I needed her most, and now I'm forever in debt with her. I won't let any harm come to her if it's within my power to stop it, I promise." There's not even the smallest trace of doubt when she says this, so strong is her conviction, and it leaves my parents speechless. I, on the other hand, am already able to feel tears accumulating in my eyes. I never thought I would hear such words from the person I care about the most, and it's so overwhelming I feel the urge to cry, and I do so after throwing myself into Elsa's arms, saying "thank you" over and over again, trying to somehow be able to express how grateful I am, because I know there's no way on earth I will ever be worthy of Elsa, and I'm just so glad she chose to give her heart to me.

Her words seem to also have touched my parents, because just a moment later, my mom also comes and hugs us both, and so does my father after a few seconds of hesitation. At first Elsa tenses at this, but slowly she relaxes and lets herself be held, especially after my father says, with the gentlest voice he's used today:

"Thank you, Elsa. I'm happy to see that Anna is now in good hands. I trust you."


	20. A shocking discovery

**Chapter 20: A shocking discovery.**

The trial against Hans went smoothly, since there was a ton of evidence against him, like Elsa's blood on his clothes and clasp-knife, his handprints on my destroyed cell-phone, and of course mine and Elsa's injuries. Besides, there were five witnesses, including myself, Elsa, Ariel, Cinderella and Aurora, the last three having declared that Hans told them he'd do something bad to me that day, but they didn't know what… only Snow, who had to pay a fair amount of money as compensation to avoid landing in jail for complicity. Her stepmother was furious though, and I heard she'll be sending her far away to live with her seven uncles as punishment. Serves her well.

Hans, on the other hand, will be spending at least 24 years in prison for attempted rape and murder with aggravated assault, which is good news… for me, of course, not for him. Even if I had to tell the full story (including how he used to force me to kiss him and touch him and other things in school) in front of the court and my parents for the judge to put such a high sentence on him. It was hard, I cried like a little girl and felt utterly ashamed and dirty as I narrated the events… but whatever, at least Elsa and my parents were there to comfort me and assure me they didn't think any less of me after what I'd narrated.

However, it's all in the past now, and I'm willing to move on and forget this traumatic experience as I happily live my life with my family and my girlfriend.

We just got out of the trial and we're exhausted, so my parents are taking the rest of the day off today, even if their plan was originally to return to work after the trial. Father still went to the lab to put in an order for some things though, but he should be back in an hour or so, while mother is taking us home in her car (she insisted that Elsa stayed for lunch) and talking with my girlfriend about school stuff, but I'm honestly too tired to engage in the conversation, so I just sit there and doze off until we arrive at my house.

We all exit the car and get in before my mother tells me:

"I'll just buy a pizza, is that alright?" I nod, as well as Elsa, as she continues. "I'll order your favorite."

"Thanks mom." I smile at her before taking Elsa's hand and leading her upstairs to my room. As soon as we arrive, I practically launch myself to the bed and sigh as the soft mattress helps me relax my tense muscles. I then eye at Elsa, who is still at the doorframe and pat the bed at my side to silently ask her to lay beside me. She approaches and sits at my bed, but doesn't lie down, instead staring at me with concern. "What?" I ask confused, I thought everything was just fine.

"Was what you said true? The things Hans forced you to do?" She asks, her voice trembling slightly.

"Well… I wouldn't say that he _forced_ me..." I start, sitting up and trying not to dwell to deep in my memories of those times. "More like _coerced_ me. But hey, it's in the past." I laugh to brush it off and talk of happiest things, but apparently Elsa isn't about to let it go easily.

"It's the same!" She practically yells. "He made you do something you didn't want to and you still let him continue until things went too far."

"So what? Now it's _my_ fault that he tried to rape me?" I retort, a little exasperated at the tone Elsa used on me.

"No, that's not…" She pauses, probably trying to calm down. "I just… don't you care about yourself?" The sad and worried look she gives me is enough to pull me out of my defensive state, and I understand she is just trying to help me, even if I want to avoid the memories like the plague.

"I… Elsa look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I really want to leave all in the past." When she remains as impassive as always, I make puppy-dog eyes and pout. "Please? Forget about it and let's just make out." I see her bit her lip as she struggles to stay firm, and I'm thinking I've already won when she closes her eyes and speaks again.

"Look, I'll tell you what." She says, opening her eyes but wisely avoiding looking at my pout. "If you talk to me about that, we'll make out."

"Ugh, fine." I sigh, knowing there's no way out this time. "What do you want to know? I already narrated it all to the court."

_And I don't plan on repeating any of it._

"I don't want to know the facts… obviously. I want to know…" She pauses, thinking. "What made you submit yourself to that? What was happening in your head when you agreed to do everything Hans said even if you didn't want to?"

"Well…" I swallow, closing my eyes and attempting to remember the facts without remember the feelings, as I did (or rather _tried_) in the trial (and I still cried my lungs out), but the problem is that Elsa asked me about my feelings, so there's really no escape now. "At first it was because… I really thought he loved me, and he was so handsome and nice that I just… I guess I tried to force myself to love him, hoping he'd someday love me back and… m-make me his girlfriend." I admit, desperately trying not to cry, but losing the battle miserably, if the tears rolling down my cheeks were any indication.

"Oh, Anna." Elsa pulls me towards her and hugs me tightly.

"And then…" I continue, unable to hold my words back now that there's a little opening in the walls around my heart. "Then he started calling me a whore and some other n-n-nasty things." I clench my teeth, trembling in anger and despair, and Elsa starts softly caressing my back, trying to calm me down. "And I…!" I start, but I paused, unable to let the next words leave my mouth, but at the same time fighting to let them out. I know they'll hurt me if I say them, but I also know they are already hurting me more trapped inside my mind, so I keep trying until I finally succeed. "I believed them!" I scream. "I believed them and I thought no one would ever want someone as filthy as me, so I-I just…" I clench my hands, grabbing fistfuls of the sheets until my knuckles turn white. "I-I just thought I should as well d-d-do as Hans told me, as he was the only one who wanted me."

"Anna…" Elsa starts to say, but I cut her as I kiss her intently on her lips, so hard and messy that our teeth end up clashing, but I don't care and I practically push her into the mattress and lay on top of her, attacking her mouth with kisses. I'm not even enjoying it as much as I usually do, since this came out more from desperation than from love and Elsa isn't even reciprocating, but I don't care, I _need_ this.

"Tell me that you want me, Elsa! Tell me that…" I don't even finish my sentence when Elsa pushes me away from her and stares at me worriedly.

"Anna, listen…" She starts, but I don't want to hear it. I just need reassurance, and she isn't giving it to me. She's rejecting me.

"Do you want me or not?!" I yell histerically. "Am I not pretty enough? Am I not good enough? Am I not worthy of being your girlfriend?!"

"Of course I want you!" Elsa yells, grabbing me by my shoulders and making me look at her. This actually pulls me back into a conscious state and makes me realize what exactly I am doing. Sensing me relax, Elsa speaks again. "I want you, Anna." She repeats. "And I also love you. I'm your girlfriend." She places a hand on my cheek and makes me look at her eyes, but I shut my eyelids, ashamed of what I just did. It was impulsive and stupid; Elsa is my girlfriend, of course she wants me! But I let Hans words get to me and make me doubt. Why did I ever listened to him?

I collapse above Elsa, sobbing pathetically and whimpering as she rubs soothing circles in my back, the warmth of her body helping me relax. Then she starts whispering things to my ear.

"Shhh… It's alright. I understand where you were coming from." She says. "Sometimes it's very easy to believe what others tell us, and I'm sorry to have made you remember it. I-I thought it'd help you."

"It did." I assure her, because at least now I'm aware of Hans words being inside my mind, so next time they appear I'm going to crush them before they start making me doubt of myself.

"Good. But it still hurt to see how much his words still affect you."

"I know." I mumble nuzzling in her neck. "Even when he's in prison he still hurts me."

"He won't anymore." She assures me. "As you said, he's in prison now, and we're here, alive and together, with all our lives ahead of us." She sounds optimistic, which is rare, since I'm usually the positive one, so I know she's doing it for me and I try to relax for her, enjoying the wonderful sensation of our bodies making full contact with one another, our heat melding and thawing us in each other's arms… I sigh in content and try to get even closer to Elsa, my lips touching her neck in the process and compelling me to kiss her.

Maybe it's too soon. Maybe I just had a break down literally a minute ago… but I can't help it, her smell is intoxicating, and the soft curves of her body are so enticing, and she herself is so tempting… besides, it'd help me feel better and put all this Hans thing in the past, where it belongs. Plus, she said she that wants me and she loves me, and I'm her girlfriend, so I don't see what harm it'd do.

And so I start softly kissing her neck, hearing a surprised gasp from Elsa but not further protests, and then I open my mouth and let my tongue taste her tender skin, not helping myself as I moan at the wonderful feeling. I feel Elsa tightening her hold around my waist and, encouraged by this, I nip softly at the side of her throat. She whimpers slightly, but it's more from pleasure than pain, so I decide to bite a little harder and suck at her skin, hearing her soft whimpers until I finally release her with a 'pop' before leaning back to staring at her now bruising skin, realizing I just gave her her first hickey and smirking at this. Then I turn to see her half-lidded eyes having darkened with lust as she eyes my lips hungrily before claiming them with her own, kissing me passionately and even daring to use her tongue to explore my mouth (it's usually me who does that) until we both realize we need to breathe and we separate.

Her cheeks are bright red, probably just like mine, and her breath is ragged, like her brain momentarily forgot about everything except the desire she feels for me, just as strong as the one I feel for her. I groan at the sight, my arousal increasing with the knowledge that I made Elsa feel like this, before attacking her lips again but not remaining too much in them this time, instead slowly making my way down her jaw, until I reach again her neck and then her ear, biting it slightly until Elsa is trembling from arousal beneath me.

I try to reach up with my hand to the bottoms of her shirt, but then I realize that one of my hands is still broken and immobilized in a cast, so I reluctantly pull away straddling her and take the first bottom of her shirt with my left hand, undoing it and continuing with the other… until Elsa's voice stops me.

"W-wait." She says, her voice trembling slightly. I look up at her face and it shows nervousness, so I pause. "W-what are you doing?"

"Uh… undressing you?" I say more like a question than a sentence.

"But… you want…?" She gulps, looking at me with wide eyes, and I just smile at her and nod. "_Now?!" _She asks in disbelief, and I nod again as she gulps before smiling nervously. "D-do you at least know _how_?"

"Pffft, it can't be that difficult." I brush it off. "I mean, I've never done it before, but…" I pause, eyeing at her to make sure she's fine with us doing it, and after a few tense moments of silence my expression falls and I'm thinking to apologize for my sudden request, when she nods.

"Alright… we'll learn together." She says, and I don't think it twice before quickly unbuttoning the rest of her shirt and open it to reveal… a freaking bloody gauze pad.

_Damn! I forgot about that. I don't think either of us is in condition to indulge ourselves in… ehem… exerting activities. More so when me lying over her already caused her wound to open slightly. Plus, the blood kinda kills the mood… even if her deliciously full breasts are very distracting. Wait what?_

However, before I can decide whether I want to have sex with my girlfriend in this moment or not, the room door opens and me mother comes in.

"Girls, the pizza is…" She pauses, seeing us in that compromising position, before Elsa quickly tries to cover her body and I just stay there like a deer caught in headlights. I see my mother's expression harden a little before continuing with an authoritarian voice. "Downstairs. Now." That said, she leaves the room. I sigh, thinking I really don't want to confront my mother right now before noticing Elsa's already buttoned up her shirt and is getting out of bed, with a scared expression and her face pale like a ghost.

"Relax." I try to calm her down, placing my good hand on her shoulder. "She's not going to kill us." I chuckle.

"Well… she seemed pretty mad to me." She answers, her voice shaking.

"That's because you haven't seen her _really_ mad." I declare before taking her hand and starting walking out of the room. "Come on, let's go before she comes and drags us downstairs."

* * *

Elsa is literally shaking when we sit at the table in front of my parents, and the more I tighten my hold on her hand, the more nervous she gets, so I decide to let go of her for now, and at this she finally relaxes a little. This is weird, to say the least, what? Does she think they'll be mad at us and kick me out of the house? And suddenly I realize that, yes, she's afraid that'll happen, I mean it happened to _her_, so…

But my parents wouldn't kick me out for being a lesbian, right? Well, at least I hope so, even if the stern look they're giving us is not very comforting. Fuck, why did I never ask them if they were homophobic? That way I'd have an idea of what to expect.

"So…" Father begins. "Your mother told me she found you in a very… _compromising_ position." I gulp at how he says 'compromising' and think on something to say, but Elsa speaks first.

"Please don't be mad at Anna." She pleads with a slightly desperate tone. "It was my fault, I-I…"

"Really?" My mom raises an eyebrow at her. "Because to me it seemed like _she_ was trying to ravish you."

"Mom!" I protest, my cheeks burning bright red.

"It does sound like Anna." My father laughs, and my mother joins him, much to my dismay.

_Well, at least now I know they aren't mad._

"You are not… mad?" Elsa voices my thoughts. At this, my parents suddenly turn serious again, and I feel my stomach turning; I know that look, they're going to scold me. And in front of Elsa, no less.

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't have… ehem… _intimate_ relations in this house." My father speaks, but it's more an order than a request. I quickly nod to assure him we won't, but in that moment, Elsa speaks.

"No, I meant…" She pauses, taking a deep breath probably to calm herself down. "Are you really okay with us being… well… women?" She's worried and afraid, I can tell, even if for me it's quite obvious they don't care about that in the slightest. My parents also seem to notice this, so they faces show confusion before turning understanding.

"We're not homophobic, if that's what worries you." My mother answers with a soft voice, and Elsa lets out the breath she was holding, finally relaxing a little her tense shoulders.

"Though I must admit I was surprised at first." My father adds. "I always thought Anna liked boys, I mean, after all she was always dreaming about princes in shining armor and all that stuff."

"I'm bisexual." I interfere. "… I think." My father nods, as if all suddenly made sense.

"However, I'm a little hurt that you didn't tell us sooner. "My mother says." Specially since we met her that time before Christmas when you brought her home. It's been a few months.

"What? Oh, no, no, no! We weren't girlfriends at that time." I quickly correct her.

"Y-you weren't?" She asks, truly surprised.

"We've just been dating for couple of weeks or so." I answer.

"And you were already going to have sex?!" My father practically yells, making Elsa flinch.

"No, we…" She starts, but I cut her off.

"It wasn't planned." I assure him. "It was in the heat of the moment, you know? "I chuckle. "But hey, at least neither of us can get pregnant." My parents just stare at me unamused and I sigh. "Okay, I'm sorry. I admit it wasn't the best time to do it, alright? Let's just eat, the pizza is getting cold."

"You're right." My mother agrees with me. "Just promise you'll wait a little more before you... uhm… have sex." She's clearly uncomfortable about the topic, and I get that, I mean, I'm her 'baby' and we're talking about me having sexual intercourse in the near future, but jeez!

"And that it won't happen in this house." My father adds and they both stare at us waiting for an answer.

"I promise." I say.

"I promise too." Elsa seconds me.

"Very well, now let's eat." My father says satisfied, before opening the pizza box and getting out an slice, before I do the same and quickly start to devour it, while Elsa and my mom also get out one for themselves, but not as desperately.

We keep munching on the pepperoni pizza (mine with _a lot_ of ketchup) for a while until my father finishes his first slice and decides to break the silence.

"So…" He starts, looking at Elsa, and I instantly know this will be an interrogatory. I sigh, but I let him continue. "What do your parents do for living?" Elsa swallows the food she had in her mouth, takes a gulp of water and carefully cleans her lips with a napkin before answering.

"M-my father…" She starts, but I notice her hesitation to talk about him, and I take her hand under the table, knowing it's a sore topic for her. "H-he is the CEO of a Norwegian enterprise."

"You're from Norway?" My father asks raising an eyebrow, obviously surprised when Elsa answers with a nod. "How long have you been living here?"

"A little more than three years."

"Oh." He blinks, confused. "But if he's the CEO of an enterprise, then how can he leave his country for so long?"

"He didn't. He sent me here alone." She says, and I can tell she's fighting hard to avoid getting too sentimental about this.

"And what about your mother?" My own mother asks concerned.

"She left when I was little. I never met her." She says curtly, and now it's obvious, even to my parents that this is too painful for her, so they drop the topic.

"I-I'm sorry to hear that." My mom says and Elsa just nods as answer before quickly taking another slice of pizza and distracting herself with the food. My parents seem to get the message because they don't ask her more personal questions during the rest of the time we are eating.

* * *

After lunch Elsa and I hang out a little in my room (door opened, of course) as my parents watch the TV downstairs. We are playing Mario Kart in my Wii console, but I was never one to keep silent as I play (not even if that'll distract me further and I'll get my ass even _more_ kicked by Elsa), especially when I'm curious about something Elsa said earlier, so I ask her:

"Hey, Els. Did you really never meet your mother?" I try to say it casually so Elsa doesn't feel like I'm interrogating her or anything and she also knows she's not obligated to answer, but she tenses up anyways.

"No, she left as soon as I was born. I told you that." She answers, slightly upset and uncomfortable. And defensive.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." I apologize and try to just get my head on the race, but I can't and before we even finish that lap I ask again. "But seriously, have you never try to contact her?"

"No, Anna." She sighs, clearly not amused at my insistence. "She left me, she clearly didn't want anything to do with me, and so I don't see any reason to search for her. Plus, father said she's not a good person, so…"

"But your father has lied to you before. I mean, what if she wants to talk to you but she can't, or what if…?"

"Anna, enough." Elsa warns, teeth clenching, clearly fighting to hold back her anger. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"But…" I stubbornly continue. "Don't you even have a picture of her? Don't you at least know what she looks like?"

"Father burned all her pictures when she left, alright?" She answers curtly as, at the same time, puts a banana in my way that sends me down the fricking bridge. I curse under my breath and say nothing as I fight to get back on the second place, but of course it's impossible, so I keep insisting.

"Do you even know her name?" Elsa sighs as she hears my question and puts down the Wii remote, since the race is finally over anyways, before turning to look at me.

"You're not dropping the subject, are you?" She asks, clearly exasperated, but I just shake my head and she doesn't have any other option but to comply and give me the answers. "Father never wanted me to know her name, but my brother once told me." She pauses, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, before opening them and staring a t me with a mix of sadness and melancholy. "Idunn." She almost whispers. "Her name was Idunn."

"That's a beautiful name." I compliment.

"For a horrible person." She scrunches her nose as if she thought her mother was some horrible insect meant to be squashed at the first opportunity. I can't help but agree with her, I mean, who leaves their child in the hands of someone as bad as Elsa's father? But still, she's her mother, and maybe she had a reason to leave. And even if she didn't, she's still an important part of Elsa's history, one she has to know even if she doesn't want to.

"Would you mind if I search her picture on the internet?" I ask cautiously. "Just to see if you look like her at all." I see her tense up even more and stay silent, and for a moment I think she's going to tell me to mind my own business or something, but then she sighs and turns to me.

"I guess if you want to do it, I can't stop you. Just… know I don't want to know anything about her." I nod, relieved that she's not starting a fight with me because of this, but still a little disappointed that she doesn't want to face her past.

"I understand, but…"

"It's getting late." She cuts me off as she gets up from my bed. "I better get going."

"I could walk you to the bus station if you…"

"No. It's fine." She cuts me off _again_. "Goodbye Anna." At this she approaches me and quickly pecks me on the lips (though it doesn't feel as good as always, with this tense atmosphere and all) before heading to the door. "See you tomorrow." At this she exits and I sigh, mentally kicking myself for ruining this evening with my girlfriend. I just hope she doesn't keep being mad at me tomorrow.

As I hear her saying goodbye to my parents I lay on my bed, still reprimanding myself.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! I should have dropped the subject when I noticed how mad it made her to talk about this. But no! I had to go and pry answers out of her to the point of driving her away. Well done, Anna, well done. It's a wonder she hasn't broken up with you because of your impertinence! Why did you have to be so curious about it? I mean, it's just her missing mom who she know nothing about, what's so intriguing about that? _

Except it _is _intriguing, and before I can stop myself I'm tuning on my laptop and putting Elsa's mother's name in the google images search bar. Instantly, many pictures appear, but only a few resemble my girlfriend, with that blonde hair and distinctive ice-blue eyes. She is a woman in her early thirties, at most, and when I click the page where her image is, her name appears: Idunn Frost. Definitely Elsa's mother. However, the image is in some Norwegian newspaper online page, and I'm curious to see what it says, so I click on the translate option only to stare horrified at the head title: 'Recently divorced woman brutally murdered'.

I gasp and quickly reach for my cellphone; I _have _to tell Elsa about this.


	21. A helping hand

**Chapter 21: Trying to help her.**

Yesterday I called Elsa and asked her to meet me early today at a small coffee shop; I really think this is something I should better tell her in person, though I was dying to inform her about her mother being dead as soon as I found out. Since today is Saturday and we don't have classes, the only way to see her was to meet with her somewhere, that's why I'm here, already at the coffee shop and waiting for her to show up. It's a strange feeling, since she usually arrives way earlier than me no matter where we go.

Fifteen minutes after our appointed time I'm getting antsy. What if she's still mad at me and decided not to come without telling me? What if she figured out I want to talk about her mother and preferred to avoid the subject by not coming? What if…?

Before I have time to worry even more, the beautiful blonde enters through the doors and searches around with her eyes until she finally spots me and gives me a warm smile, which I automatically return as I watch her walk towards my table and sit in front of me.

"Sorry for being late." She apologizes. "I couldn't find the place."

"Hey, it's fine." I shrug it off. "What's important is that you're here."

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asks confused.

"Well… yesterday you were pretty mad…" I trail off, looking down at the table, since I was hoping to avoid the subject a little while longer.

"I wasn't mad." Elsa quickly replies. "Not at you, at least." She reassures me, taking my hand between hers. "I know you were just trying to help me, but…" She sighs. "I'm just not ready to talk about my mother."

"Oh." I say awkwardly, before coughing as little and pretending I wasn't just going to try and talk to her about that exact subject. "Uh… why don't I go get our coffees?" I get up. "Is mocha okay with you?"

"Yes, perfect." She smiles, but I can tell she's confused about why I had the sudden urge to get our coffees. I just hope drinking a hot beverage and eating some chocolate cake will warm her up a little... before I bring her mood down with the bad news.

So I order our coffees and a piece of chocolate cake, and stand there nervously fidgeting at the counter as I try to think on the best way to tell her that her mother died. It's difficult because I don't know how she'll react. I mean, she never met the woman, and I'm pretty sure she hated her guts ever since she found out she had abandoned her. On the other hand Elsa is not the kind of person who would be happy that someone died. But, would she be upset? Sad? Would she just get up and run away? Or something entirely different? Ugh, if only I had an idea of what she'd do!

"Excuse me." The barista pulls me out of my thoughts. "Your coffees are ready." At this she hands me two mochas and I thank her before returning to our table holding two coffees in one arm (somehow) and the cake in the other. I put it all in the table before taking a seat.

I try making little talk for a while, but to Elsa it must have been obvious that I was dodging around the issue, and not even a mere five minutes after I brought the beverages, she puts down her mug and stares at me expectantly.

"Okay, spill it." She prompts me.

"S-spill what?" I stammer nervously in a poor attempt to pretend I don't know what she's talking about. She raises an eyebrow at me and I sigh in defeat, knowing there's no way I'm hiding this from my girlfriend for even another three seconds. I pull out my cellphone and start searching for the article I saw yesterday as I speak. "Remember I asked you yesterday if I could search a picture of your mother just to see if you look like her? Well, I did and..."

"Anna." Elsa sighs interrupting me. "I told you I didn't want to see a picture of my mother, so..."

"That's not it." I quickly clarify. "It's just..." I bite my lip and pull my cellphone closer to my chest, doubting if I should tell her or not. It's a tough decision, since now that I know it, I shouldn't keep it from my girlfriend, but if she doesn't want to know...

"What is it?" She asks biting her lip too, obviously curious but also doubtful. "What did you find?" I sigh, knowing that now I have to tell her.

"I found this article." I answer handing her my phone. "It's in Norwegian, so I didn't understand a thing, but I translated the title and..."

"Recently divorced woman brutally murdered." She reads it out loud in English, her expression turning glum instantly, but she continues reading anyways. "Very early this morning, Idunn Olafrdottir, previously known as Idunn Frost, who recently got divorced from her now ex-husband Adgar Frost, CEO of North Mountain enterprises, was found dead in the living room of her new apartment. The police say that the neighbors reported having heard constant cries of a baby for about a day and, since the owner of the apartment wasn't answering her door, they thought something may have happened. And so the police forced the door opened and found the woman lying in a pool of blood and with multiple cuts in her body." Elsa pauses, swallowing and obviously trying hard to stay composed while reading the crude description, but it's obviously hard for her. I get up, pull my chair at her side and wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close for comfort. Surprisingly, once she's nested in my chest, she keeps reading with a trembling voice. "Her hands were tied up with a rope and she had been gaged; there were also... s-strangulation marks in her neck and a few bruises in her face. The forensic analysis points that she most probably died from strangulation." She pauses, obviously doubting if she should read the next part of the text, but at the end she keeps going even though it's obvious it's quite difficult to her. "The baby, on the other hand, was her three-month old daughter, Elsa Frost, who fortunately remained unharmed in her crib until the police found her. She will be given to her father, who will take care of her ..." At this she stops, but I can see her eyes are still scanning the last few lines of the article, and she has a surprised and horrified expression, like she doesn't want to believe what she's seeing.

"There's more?" I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me. She sighs and continues reading.

"Some people think he was behind her ex-wife's murder. However, this hasn't been confirmed and the police will keep investigating." My eyes open wide in surprise.

_Her father was suspected of killing Elsa's mother?! Damn, that something I couldn't have foreseen. I wonder how this will affect her._

"Elsa?" I ask carefully. "Are you okay?"

"No." She says softly as she puts my cellphone on the table and leans into me, closing her eyes with a distressed expression on her face.

"I'm sorry."

"No, that's not…" She sighs, snuggling more into me as she thinks how best to answer. "I mean… I'm glad you showed me this, because it makes me feel better about myself, now that I know my mother didn't abandon me, but…" She swallows, not wanting to continue, and I can see she's trying hard to keep herself from crying.

"You're sad that she's dead." I assume, looking at her to see if she denies my statement.

"Yeah…" She admits, almost whispering. "I mean, I don't miss her, because you can't miss someone you've never met, but… I have a similar feeling, like…"

"A sense of loss?" I suggest, noticing she stopped.

"Yes, I think that's what it is." She takes a deep breath, probably calming herself, before separating slightly from me and looking at my eyes.—Do you think that's strange?

"No, of course not." I quickly assure her. "Maybe you never met her, but she's your mother; she's an important part of who you are."

"I guess." She shrugs and looks down in a slightly distressed but also confused expression. "But it's just… I don't know what to do with this knowledge, you know?" I notice that she starts fidgeting with her hands. "It's not like I could just erase a lifetime of hating her, but I can't love her either because I never knew her… and if my father really k-…" She swallows, having difficulty pronouncing the word. I can't blame her; that sort of situation would give me nightmares for a year. "K-k-killed her, then… I still can do nothing about it; I can't prove it true, but I can't prove it false either." She turns to look at me with desperate and pleading eyes filled with tears. "How will I ever be able to talk to him… t-to even _look_ at him, knowing he could've murdered my mother?"

"Elsa, calm down." I say taking her hands and caressing them, hoping to comfort her in this impossible situation. "No one is saying that you father killed your mother; that article is very old, and the culprit could've already been captured. There's no need to panic for nothing." I give her a tiny and (hopefully) comforting smile as I tighten my hold in her hands, glad when I feel her slightly squeezing mine. "And about what to do with the knowledge of your mother being dead… well, I think I have an idea." She raises an eyebrow, obviously confused, but also hopeful, silently prompting me with her stare to speak. "Look, you can't change what happened, but you can make the best out of this situation." I pause, remembering the speech I prepared yesterday after I found out, and hoping she will accept my idea; it for her own good. "Your mother was a divorced woman when she died, and as such, all of her possessions weren't left to her husband, but to whoever she left them in her will. However, if she didn't leave a will, then they'll be passed to her children, in this case you."

"Me?" Elsa asks surprised. "But… if that were true then by now I would have inherited everything."

"Yes, but you didn't know she was dead." I try to reason, hoping I'm right. "And as a minor, your father is the one who manages all of your possessions, probably one of the reasons he wanted you to think that your mother was alive and she had just abandoned you." At this Elsa blinks, as if everything suddenly made a lot of negative sense. I can almost see her fighting to deny the evidence, but from her devastated expression I can tell that she believes me. In that moment, a tear fells down her face, and she quickly tries to wipe it, but more follow and she soon is crying as I wrap her in my arms. I almost regret having told her my theory about her father not wanting her to know... But it makes so much sense that it _has_ to be true; Elsa would have find out eventually anyways.

* * *

I lost count of long she cried, and my heart broke when I realized that I've seen her cry so many times before that now it's a familiar sight to me. Perhaps even more familiar than her smile, and I decided that I would have to change that, and I knew the first step in that direction was to help her get what was rightfully hers; her inheritance. I already had a plan to do that, and had talked to my parents about it. They had been more than happy to help, but I knew Elsa was proud and stubborn and wouldn't accept our help easily, so first I had to convince her somehow.

Fortunately, I was able to calm Elsa down and bring up her mood with comforting words, soft caresses and a little bit of chocolate, and then I asked her to go to the movies. At first she was hesitant, saying she wasn't feeling like going anywhere except back home, but I insisted until she gave up. It's kinda strange now that I think about it, because this is our official second date, and the first one as girlfriends, but the reason I asked her out couldn't be more unconventional.

Anyways, so here we are, about to buy our tickets and trying to decide if we're going to see it in 2D or 3D. I want to see it in 3D because, well, it's 3D! Who the fuck sees 2D movies now a days?! Well… maybe Rapunzel, she says she doesn't like how it looks and she gets dizzy, but Elsa doesn't have that excuse! Her reasons are just… exasperating.

"Anna, please, I don't want to watch it in 3D." She says with pleading eyes as she wraps her arms around her torso, something that she always does to appear more vulnerable and convince me, and though most days I'd relent, this time I argue.

"But it's earlier in 3D." I reply.

"And more expensive!" She counters.

"So?" I roll my eyes. "I'll pay, I told you."

"I-I don't want you to pay." She finally admits lowering her gaze. "I know I can't buy my own ticket because I don't have money, but I'm not going to take advantage of you and let you pay more than you should just to watch it in 3D." She sighs. "It wouldn't be right." Suddenly I understand the problem, and my anger relents a little, but I'm still not going to give up on this; Elsa has the right to watch a movie in 3D and I'm gonna pay for her ticket, whether she likes it or not.

"Elsa." I say as I put my hand on her shoulder. "Look, I understand that you don't want to take advantage of me, but you're not. I want to pay for you, alright? I _want_ it, you're not forcing me to do anything that I can't or am not willing to do."

"But…" She tries to protest once more, but I silence her pressing a finger on her lips.

"Look, men do it for their girlfriends all the time, so I don't see why this is any different." She frowns and looks me like she still wants to argue, but I quickly continue. "But if you _really_ are not okay with it… well, you'll pay next time." I finish with a wink.

"Anna." She sighs as she takes a step back, so now we're not touching. "You know I don't have any money." She says with a sad tone.

"Well, I never said anything about money, did I?" I say pretending to be ogling her body.

"Anna!" She almost shrieks, blushing and adorably trying to cover her face with her hands. I laugh at this and pull her into an embrace to which she answers burying her face in my neck to hide her embarrassment. After a few minutes, however, when I'm done laughing at her expense, I speak again in a serious tone.

"But seriously Elsa, you _could_ pay next time; if only you put a demand on you father and forced him to give you your inheritance…"

"No." She cuts me off, separating herself from me. "That's out of question."

"But why?" I ask exasperated.

"I just don't want to confront my father, okay?" She lowers her gaze. "I don't think I have the strength to even face him."

"I understand." I say, trying to sound reassuring. "But you can't let your fear get in the way of your happiness, your freedom..."

"Money doesn't gives you freedom." She tries to counter, but she sounds hesitant.

"No." I agree. "But it sure helps, especially in your situation." She gives me a questioning look and I continue. "You have nothing, Elsa; if not for Kai and Gerda you'd live on the streets. Is that what you want? Isn't a better life worth fighting for? Isn't it worth facing your father?"

"I-I guess..." She says, clearly starting to consider my words. "But I can't pay for a lawyer... Actually I can't even buy my plane ticket to Norway!" She exclaims with frustration. "I don't even see the point of discussing this; it not happening!"

"Are you sure about that?" I say raising my eyebrow.

"Of course I'm sure Anna, why do you even ask?" She frowns at me, slightly upset, but I only smile at her.

"Because I can make that happen. I can help you, Elsa... Well, _my parents_ can, but it's the same."

"Are you crazy?!" She almost screams in disbelief. "I'm not asking them such a favor! That just wouldn't be right!"

"Okay, first of, you saved their precious daughter from being raped, and second, you are said daughter's girlfriend. Of course they'll be happy to help you!"

"I-I don't know." She answers unsure.

"Look, we can talk about that later." I say once I notice it's almost time for the movie to start and that this conversation isn't taking us anywhere anytime soon. "Let's go see the movie and enjoy ourselves. It's our second date after all." I try giving her a little smile, but when she answers with one of her own it doesn't reach her eyes. I frown at this and kiss her lips before separating slightly and almost whispering into her mouth. "Please, I'm sorry about ruining the mood, you know I usually talk before thinking." I say apologetically, even though I thought about this all night.

"Alright." She relents, pulling away from me slightly so I can see her flushed cheeks and shy eyes. "Lets watch the movie." And this time when she smiles, I can tell that she's truly happy. Happy being with me. And that makes me happy too.

We spent most of the movie stealing glances at each other, holding hands and, eventually, kissing, so I can't really tell what it was about. Plus, I was anxiously planning what we'd be doing next; talk to my parents. Sure, I had already talked to them in the morning, bit I was sure convincing Elsa would be far from easy. I had to stay optimistic though, at least if I wanted to help Elsa.

* * *

So I somehow convinced her to go to my house after the movie ended, and to my surprise she accepted rather easily. I think she just needed to keep herself distracted to avoid thinking too much about her mother, and the easiest way to do that (at least to her) was to be with me. Of course I didn't tell her I had planned an ambush. I just kept repeating to myself that it was for her own good and that she'd thank me someday, even if she didn't seem so happy when she noticed my parents were waiting for her in our living room. It's a good thing that they didn't have to go to work.

"Elsa." My father greets her as he stands up and shakes her hand, my mother doing the same after him. "Please take a seat." He motions to the couch in front of him and Elsa reluctantly complies as I sit next to her and my parents across from us. My girlfriend turns towards me with a confused face and I only give her a reassuring smile that she answers with a death glare before going back to look at her in-laws.

"Elsa." My mother starts. "Our daughter told us about your… situation this morning." At this my girlfriend tenses up. I try taking her hand reassuringly, but she pulls it away and hides it in her lap. She must be really pissed. "And we'd like to help."

"I appreciate it." Elsa answers curtly, yet politely. "But I can't accept your help."

"Why not?" My father frowns.

"It wouldn't be right."

"Elsa, you saved our daughter from being _raped_. It's the least we can do."

"Please, I really don't want to argue." My girlfriend answers, with a tired tone, like it literally drains her to talk about it.

"Well, then accept our help and then you can go."

"I can't! I would never be able to pay back such a debt." Elsa insists stubbornly.

"You don't have to." Now my father is being just as stubborn. I know where this is going, but even though I'd like to interfere, I can't without making things worse; I'm even more stubborn than both of them.

"I said no, and my decision is final." Elsa says coldly as she gets up. "Goodbye." And without sparing me a second glance, she turns around and starts walking away. I sigh, thinking I'd already lost this battle, when my mother gets up and places her hand on Elsa's shoulder, keeping her from leaving.

"Elsa, I understand that you feel us helping you would be taking advantage of us." She starts, but the blonde still doesn't turn around to look at her. "But that couldn't be more far from the truth. We _want_ to help you. Please, let us do this little thing for you." She pleads with a tender tone, and when I see Elsa's shoulders relaxing, I know she already has her in her hands. At last, my girlfriend turns to face her.

"I can't." She says with pleading eyes and a distressed expression. "And it's not only that I can't accept your help, it's…" She looks down. "I don't want to face my father."

_The same words she said to me. She must be _really_ scared of him._

"I understand." She pauses, taking a deep breath. "But you have to." Elsa eyes her with a scared and confused look and my mother continues. "It's not only about the mental peace it'd give you, which is really important by the way, but it's also about your independence, your freedom. "

"I-I… I don't know." She bits her lip, clearly thinking about it, considering her words.

"Think about this, Elsa: What do you think your mother would've wanted?"

"I didn't know her, how can I know that?" She says, distressed.

"Yes, you didn't know her, but you _do_ know that she got divorced from your father before she died. Why do you think that was?"

"Because he's an asshole." I say like it's the most obvious thing of the world (because really, it is), earning a glare from my mother that instantly shuts my mouth.

"Because…" She pauses, thinking. "Because she wanted to be free from him?" She answers, but it sounds more like a question.

"I don't know." My mother shrugs. "I haven't met your father, so I don't know the type of man he is, even though my daughter has clearly expressed her opinion." She glares at me again and I sigh. "What I do know is that he didn't treat you all that well, and that may be the reason your mother got divorced; she wanted _you_ to be free from him."

"Maybe…" Elsa says unsure, looking to the side, as if not wanting to reconsider it.

"Please, Elsa. Don't you want to finally get him out of your life?" My mother insists and, after a few tense moments Elsa sighs in resignation.

"Fine." She agrees, finally meeting her gaze. "But I'll pay you back someday."

"Of course, when you marry our daughter." My mom chuckles as Elsa's cheeks burn bright red and I let out a mortified groan. "Just kidding." She says, still giggling a little. "You're still too young to think about that."

"That's true." My father says, getting up from the couch. "But now if you excuse me, I have to go get some plane tickets to Norway."

"Wait… _some_?" Elsa asked in disbelief. "You're going too?"

"Of course, we can't just let you fly all the way to the other end of the world alone. You're a minor after all, what kind of person does that?" At this, my girlfriend's eyes well up with tears that she quickly wipes. At first my father and I are worried that he'd said something wrong, but then suddenly Elsa lunges forward and hugs him, surprising us all.

"I-I… thank you." She says in the most thankful tone I've ever heard. "For everything."

"No problem." My father says, hugging her back and gently patting her back as he always does with me. Then, after a few seconds he pulls away and we are all able to see Elsa's utterly grateful face. "Now I'm gonna go before it gets too late."

"I'll come with you." My mother says. "I have to make sure you don't end up buying tickets for one in the morning."

"Alright." My father chuckles, probably remembering that one time during their honeymoon he got wrong the tickets hour. Then he turns to me. "By the way, Anna, don't think that just because we're gone you and Elsa can do whatever you want. The servants are warned that, if they see your room door's closed, they have to open it."

"Okay, geez, it's not like we're going to have sex while you're gone." I say, rolling my eyes.

"Alright, you've been warned." He answers before heading to the door together with my mom. Soon, they're both gone.

"So… what do you wanna do?" I ask Elsa once we're alone.

"Kill you. I _so_ want to kill you." She says, but I her tone is playful and relieved, like thanks to me she got a weight off her shoulders. I smile at this.

"Are you sure that's what you wanted to say? I think the right words in this situation would be: 'Thank you, Anna, you're the best girlfriend in the world.'"

"Right." She rolls her eyes. "And the most obnoxious too."

"Hey!" I pout. "But you still love me."

"Yes, I do." Her smiles softens, changing from mischievous to tender, and my heart melts at her words. "And right now I want to kiss you so badly." She says, leaning in and eyeing my lips.

"Go ahead." I encourage. "He did say 'no sex', but no one said kissing was forbidden.

"That's true." She hums before finally pulling me from my waist and pressing my lips with hers in a tender kiss that soon gets heated, until we're both forced to pull away to breathe.

"Let's go to my room." I say with half lidded eyes, licking my lips as I see Elsa's adoringly red cheeks.

"No sex." She reminds me, her breath ragged.

"I never said we were going to have sex, you perv." I tease before taking her hand and leading her upstairs, thinking that I'm lucky things turned out just fine; she didn't run away, my parents agreed to help her and soon we'll solve Elsa's monetary problems, and she will be able to stop thinking about her father. Finally, everything is just as it should be.


	22. The trial - Part 1

**Chapter 22: The trial (part 1).**

The long awaited summer break is finally (FINALLY!) here. No more studying until midnight for the exams, no more homework or school projects, no more expositions, no more responsibilities. Life is beautiful! Everything is perfect… or will be, as soon as we're over with Elsa's upcoming trial against her father.

My dad insisted that we should wait until classes were over to go to Norway, arguing that we'd already skipped too much as it was and needed to improve our grades. (Well, only _I_ had to do that because for some reason Elsa's grades, though not perfect, were still acceptable). At the end, after weeks and weeks of hard work, I managed to finish the school year with an overall mean of 87, which is reasonable considering how many classes I skipped.

There were also some others reasons because of which my parents insisted on waiting. One being that we didn't know even a word in Norwegian and I'm proud to say that now, after studying quite a lot with Elsa, I know… four words: hallo, ha det, ja and nei, meaning hello, goodbye, yes and no respectively. It's not much, but it's something considering I learned them between mind-blowing make out sessions with the most beautiful girl in the entire planet.

Anyways, so the other reason why the trial would have to wait so much is that my dad first needed to hire a lawyer. So after months of talking to everyone he could find, he finally found one he was satisfied with. He's kind of young, compared to the others (he's like 40), but I like him; he seems nice. After hiring him, Kai, Gerda, Elsa and I started practicing the responses to the questions that'll be made at the trial (we're witnesses), both the ones our lawyer and Elsa's father's lawyer will probably be asking us. At first Elsa stuttered a lot and seemed uncomfortable narrating her story, but she's improved, and I'm proud of her.

But even though I know this is an important moment in her life and that she's under a lot of stress, there's something that I want to do with her but that she isn't quite ready for yet. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about *wink wink*. No? Well… it's sex.

Yeah, we haven't done that yet. Sometimes it's because we're interrupted, for example, by Gerda or Kai arriving home, but other times it's Elsa who stops it from happening. She always makes up an excuse, like the fact that my parents forbid us from doing it in my house, or that she's tired, or it's her time of the month… but sometimes I think she doesn't want to have sex with me at all. I mean, I know that knowing you'll have to confront your abusive father in a few months doesn't exactly get you in the mood, but jeez it's been way too long! I just hope she doesn't make me wait much longer, because then I may end up ravishing her against the wall… okay maybe not, but I do have needs, you know?

Anyways, yesterday we arrived to Norway, after a very long flight during which Elsa grew more and more anxious as we got close to her native country, even though I did my best to calm her down. After that we went to the hotel (not before almost freezing to death outside because of the cold temperatures) and my parents suggested we should see the city, but of course Elsa didn't want to and of course I stayed with her watching Netflix.

It's not like I didn't want to go with my parents, but she seemed even worse than on the plane, and I didn't want to risk her having another bout of depression (it sometimes happen, though fortunately they haven't been so bad) and hurting herself. But yeah, then we went to sleep (in separate beds, of course) and got up early this morning to attend the trial.

Elsa has black circles under her eyes and looks like shit (a very gorgeous shit, but still), and when we arrive to the trial she's shaking so much I have to practically carry her out of the car and drag her inside the building, because she actually tries to run away. Then we greet Kai, Gerda (they stayed in another hotel) and the lawyer and sit in our respective places, waiting for Elsa's father to arrive.

Elsa is awfully nervous; like literally trembling uncontrollably, and her mind seems to be somewhere else since she doesn't answer when I try telling her comforting words and rubbing circles on her back. She just keeps staring ahead, almost with a crazed expression, completely unresponsive of the things around her… until a man dressed with an expensive-looking suit enters and a terrified look appears on her eyes.

He's tall and fair, with snow-white hair and beard, grey eyes and equally grey skin. He probably was handsome in his youth, and to be fair he's still good looking, despite his age. But there's a coldness about him, and a harshness in his gestures that just makes you shiver and want to cower behind the nearest thing… which is exactly what Elsa does, hiding herself behind me and covering her face with her hands.

"Is that your father?" I ask curious and concerned, but all I get from Elsa is an almost imperceptible nod. "Wow. He _does_ look scary." I giggle, thinking that joking would maybe make this easier for my girlfriend, but she doesn't answer and instead she just keeps trembling. "Hey." I say, trying to touch her shoulder and sighing when she flinches as if my hand burned her. "Look… he's just a man, and after today you won't have to see him ever again if you don't want to, but right now you have to be brave. Okay?" I say, trying to sound reassuring, but this only seems to distress my girlfriend even more. "Please, Elsa, do it for you. Don't let him win, don't let him see how much he's hurt you." I insist, this time taking her hands and removing them from her face, all this to try and make her look me in the eye, hoping this way I can actually contact with her. "Please, just… just look at him, okay? Look at him and show him you're not afraid."

"A-Anna…" She says with trembling voice, as she shakes her head in fear. "P-please…"

"No, Elsa, you _have_ to do it." I say firmly and, without warning I disappear from her vision field so she can gaze at his father and realize he's not really a threat anymore (yes, I'm_ that_ sure we'll win the trial). For a moment she looks like she's going to start hyperventilating at any moment, but then her look is… almost hopeful, and longing. I feel a pang of pain in my heart as I realize she still loves his father, still wishes for his approval… even after all he's done to her.

Suddenly, Elsa gets up with a crazy expression in her face and hastily says:

"I can't… I-I'm sorry, I j-just…" But before she can take even three steps I reach out and stop her, taking her hand firmly and making her turn to look at me.

"Yes, Elsa, you _can_." I say, determined. I know she's scared and that this situation is anything but easy for her, but I also know we've come too far to give up now. I won't let her quit and keep living in fear for the rest of her life. "You can and you're going to do it." At my words, Elsa's expression gradually turns from plain terror to fear with a tinge of understanding. "You're the same girl… no, the same _woman_ that stood up for me when Hans was trying to rape me, the same one who overcame severe depression and kept going even after a suicide attempt, and I'm not going to stand here and watch you quit now. This is your final step towards happiness. Don't run away from it." I plead, my voice trembling slightly because of the emotion. It really pains me to see my girlfriend so distressed.

"Anna…" She says as a single tear falls from her eye and I promptly catch it with my thumb. "I-I'm sorry…" She chokes out, closing her eyes. "I-I can be such a coward, a-and I just…"

"Shhhh." I say as I wrap my arms around her, since it usually helps her calm down. "I understand, you're afraid, but you're not a coward, you are a fighter, Elsa. And you're going to get through this; you're going to win this trial."

"B-but… I don't know how." She protests weakly. "I-I can't…"

"Of course you can. I know you can." I interrupt her and squeeze her tightly in a reassuring gesture. "He's the one being judged here, not you." I remind her as I pull away slightly to look her in the eye. "You don't have to be nervous; you're just trying to get what's yours."

Finally, Elsa seems to come to her mind fully (not immediately of course, but quickly enough for me to know that she probably just buried her feelings). I know this isn't ideal, but it's the only way Elsa knows to solve her problems, so when she gives me a nod to indicate she's ready, I just smile and hope her strategy will work.

"Come on, the trial should be starting soon." I say as I sit down and gesture for Elsa to do the same.

"You can do this, Elsa." My father, who obviously heard all the conversation, whispers, making my girlfriend turn to see him.

"We believe in you." My mother adds with a nod, and Kai and Gerda just give her encouraging smiles, and now I truly see some of the fear in Elsa's face disappearing and actually being replaced with hope and determination. I'm glad they all came with her.

Suddenly, the sound of a hammer startles us and we turn to the front, noticing the judge has already arrived and is in his respective seat. Elsa's face loses all it's composure at the sight.

The judge says something with his powerful voice and everyone quiets down in that moment, then he apparently calls our lawyer to the front, because he gets up and says something before the other lawyer is called as well; after that, only Mr. Gunnarson (our lawyer) stays standing.

First, he calls Elsa, as planned, but she tenses up anyways. Still, she somewhat manages to get up on shaky legs and walk to the "victim's place", sitting down and nervously chewing her lower lip, her eyes as fearful as ever.

I don't understand the first question, because it's obviously made in Norwegian, but I remember it from the times we've practiced; it's about her father keeping the knowledge of her mother's death from her. Elsa answers with a shaky voice and is definitely ten times more nervous than during our practice sessions. I just wish I could be there holding her hand to make things easier.

However, as the questions keep going, Elsa starts to calm down, and soon she's as confident as in math class, like this is not a big deal… though she hasn't even glanced at her father this whole time. And the most difficult question of all, the one that never fails to make her spill at least one or two tears, hasn't come yet. It's the last one.

Suddenly, I hear the name of my natal country spoken in Norwegian and see Elsa tense so much that her knuckles turn impossibly white. It's the final question, the one about her father sending her to the other end of the world.

_Come on Elsa, you can do this._

But she stutters and closes her eyes, not being able to respond without pausing and taking deep breathes as the lawyer prompts her. She just nods when he makes another question, and soon she's crying and trembling, trying to contain her sobs… but she can't and soon her whimpers don't let her continue. I only want to go there and hug her, but I can't so I just wait (thankfully only a few moments) for her to be allowed to return at my side. As soon as she's back I hug her as tightly as I can while she leans her head into the crook of my neck so her tears soak my skin.

I sigh, by now knowing I can only dull the pain in her heart and not make it disappear as I'd want to, and while Kai testifies about what he saw the time Elsa was living with him (with the help of an interpreter), I glare at Elsa's father, the one responsible of her tears.

I hate him for hurting Elsa. I hate him for making her live in fear, for extinguishing all her hopes of ever being loved. I hate him for blaming Elsa's brother's death on her (even though Elsa hasn't tell me how he died, I'm quite sure she could never murder anyone), as well as her mother's disappearance. I hate him for so much more, and I want to express all my anger in this stare, as I hold his broken daughter into my arms. I wish stares could kill, because then he'd be dead now.

Suddenly, the man turns to look at me and his cold gaze gives me chills. My first instinct is to lower my eyes… but I don't, I'm not a coward and so I stare defiantly into his grey orbs, so different from his daughter's, devoid of life, of emotions, of everything. That is, until he notices my glare and smirks, like it's funny that I'm shooting him daggers with my eyes. Then he deviates his gaze towards Elsa's shaking body in my arms and an expression of contempt appears on his calm face before it's gone again a moment later when he turns towards Kai and looks at him with a blank expression.

_Oh, how I hate Elsa's father._

* * *

After Kai testified, it was Gerda's turn, though she said pretty much the same, and then Mr. Gunnarson presented some letters and printed e-mails from Elsa's father to back up their statements (that basically that Adgar Forst didn't care one bit about his daughter going to live on the streets, starving to death or attempting suicide), and then it was my turn. Thankfully by then Elsa had calmed down enough to let go of me.

The questions I answered were easy enough… except maybe when the lawyer asked why had Elsa attempted suicide, according to me. Because I pretty much took half of the blame, but as we had rehearsed, I mostly said it was because of the situation she was in, living in a foreign country far away from her only family, and with no one to turn to when they… _we_ started bullying her. I also recounted how her recovery was and emphasized that she hasn't tried to hurt herself since that time and is taking care of herself.

Then I sit down and it's finally Elsa's father's turn to be questioned. He appears to be oddly confident and calm, like he already knows the outcome, and this unnerves me. I don't trust him. I bet he'd do anything to keep Elsa's inheritance firmly under his control.

As the questions start, he answers with a soft and composed voice, and adds a few chuckles here and there to appear charming. I can tell he's an expert at convincing people, and this makes me feel uneasy. It also has the same affect on Elsa, who at one point is clenching her teeth and looking at him with so much anger and hatred that it actually scares me a little.

Then the lawyer makes some other questions and my girlfriend is growing madder and madder, to the point that her hands are twitching and her feet are moving nervously like she wants to get up and punch his ugly face… but as much as I'd like to see that, I can't let her do it; it'd only prove to the court that she's mentally unstable. So I grasp her hand and make her turn to look at me, shaking my head when she does to indicate she can't do what she's thinking.

Elsa reluctantly complies with my silent request and just keeps looking at him with the most terrifying glare I've ever seen. I'm damn glad it's not directed at me, or else I'd be peeing my pants. However, her father doesn't even seem to notice, as he just keeps answering questions with his calm attitude… until he suddenly drops his façade for a moment and raises slightly his voice. Not that much, so he doesn't appear to be too mad, but enough for me to know he's angry about something.

I don't have time to ponder what could've made the man get angry because in that moment Elsa suddenly gets up and starts yelling:

"Slutt å lyve!" She says, trembling with rage as a torrent of tears fall from her now red eyes. "Slutte å være en løgner! Jeg er lei av at du lyver til meg hele mitt liv! Jeg er lei av å tro på løgn! Jeg er …!"

"Ms. Frost…" The judge tries to make her shut up, but she's clearly too lost in her own emotions to listen to anybody. Still, I do the first thing that comes to my mind to keep her from doing anything stupid; get up as well and hold her with all my strength, though I'm not sure if it's to calm her down or to physically keep her from going there and strangling her father.

"Du er bare en løgnaktig jævel det er alt du noen gang bli! JEG HATER DEG!" She screams at the top of her lungs. I recognize one word; hater. It means hate. It nearly makes me want to cry too as I notice all the emotions contained in that single word. I bet it must be painful to hate someone you loved, even more so if that person is the only family you have left.

"Jeg hater deg! Jeg hater deg! Jeg hater deg, Jeg hater deg …" She keeps repeating, each time quieter, and her tears keep falling from her eyes as she buries her face between her hands and crumbles into her seat completely (I don't let go of her at any moment). She leans into me for comfort, but her muscles are so tense and her shaking is becoming so hard it worries me. It's almost like she's having a panic attack. Wait… she can't be having a panic attack, can she? I hope not. That must be awful.

_Oh, Elsa… please be strong. I know this is hurting, but we're right here with you. You don't have to be afraid anymore._

Still, whether she's or isn't having a panic attack, the judge grants us a break, since it's obvious the trial can't go on as long as the victim is in such an unstable state that she can't speak or even breathe properly due to the loud whimpers that escape her mouth.

As my father takes her in his arms and gently carries her to a chair outside in front of the concerned gazes of all of us, I just hope the next half of the trial will go better… and that Elsa is feeling well enough then. I know it's nearly impossible, but I really wish it'd come true.


	23. The trial - Part 2

**Chapter 23: The trial – part 2.**

It's only about an hour after we go out to take a break that Elsa starts looking a little better, probably thanks to the glasses of soda and pieces of chocolate I brought her. However, she still looks pale like a ghost and her eyes are red and puffy, but she insists that she's okay now, and so we return to the court room.

As expected, her father's lawyer now has his chance to interrogate the witnesses, and his first request is for Elsa to come to the front. I don't want to let go of her hand and let her walk there alone; she looks incredibly fragile right now. But I can't go up there with her and I know that Elsa is stronger than she seems, so I reluctantly watch her walk towards the witness's stand and sit down, visibly frightened.

_I hope, for Elsa's sake, that the questions aren't too difficult._

Unfortunately, against my wishes, as soon as the first question is spoken, Elsa tenses up and starts taking rapid and shaky breathes, her eyes widen and her mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. I instantly know she's _really_ distressed.

In that moment, however, Mr. Gunnarson stands up and says something, the judge apparently agrees with him and Mr. Vargson is forced to ask a different question. This, however, doesn't seem to alleviate Elsa's tension much, as she stammers while trying to answer. At this, the lawyer makes another inquiry and she tries to respond, but soon she's saying something under her breath and then tears start falling from her eyes.

"…Monsteret." She says, now loud enough for me to hear it. I may not know much Norwegian, but that word is close enough to English to know what it means. Monster. She's calling herself a monster again, and my heart is breaking for her, especially since she's hugging herself, pain and vulnerability clear in her blue eyes.

Mr. Vargson starts asking questions again, and I want to yell at him to shut up, because with each word Elsa breaks down a little more. But before I can protest my girlfriend starts hyperventilating and is barely able to breathe through her sobs. I'm thinking we should really stop the trial right now before something happens to her, when suddenly she tenses up and stops crying, her eyes closed and her body completely loose.

"Elsa!" I scream in panic, thinking that maybe something happened to her and before anyone can stop me I run towards her. Thankfully she's still breathing, and it looks like the emotional stress caused her to pass out. Her breathing is ragged, almost like she's exhausted.

I quickly hug her and, after the judge says something, my father comes and takes her in his arms, carrying her outside. Everyone starts heading out and I have to ask what happened. Mr. Gunnarson explains me that the judge decided to continue the trial tomorrow since Elsa is clearly not okay. Apparently because the other lawyer asked about her brother's death, a subject so delicate for her that she hasn't even told _me_ about it. So it's not a surprise that, when the doctor checks her, he says she suffered two panic attacks, which probably left her completely drained and made her pass out. It still worries me though, because Mr. Vargson will probably ask the same question tomorrow and Elsa won't be able to answer. This could be a major problem if we want to win the trial. There has to be a way around it. I just have to figure it out.

* * *

"Anna, dear, are you okay?" My mom asks me as I keep staring at my girlfriend's sleeping body while trying to think of something.

"I'm fine." I shrug. "Just worried about Elsa. I wish there was some way I could keep her from being interrogated again."

"She'll be fine, you'll see." She says with a sympathetic voice as she sits down next to me. "She's stronger than she seems."

"I know." I sigh. "But I still feel like I should protect her, you know? I mean, she's already been through a lot… I think she deserves some peace."

"I understand sweetie, but there's nothing you can do; the jury needs to hear Elsa's answer. She _has_ to say it."

"But… she was so nervous, I mean she _had_ a panic attack! I don't think it'd be easy to reveal your most painful anecdote to a room full of strangers. Maybe it'd be easier if she just had to tell _me_…" Suddenly my eyes widen as I think of a plan that was so crazy it could actually work. "Wait… would a recording be good enough for the jury?" I ask, with hope clear in my eyes. My mother quickly understands my intentions and thinks it's a good idea, because soon she'll pulling out her cellphone and calling Mr. Gunnarson.

"Hi, Mr. Gunnarson." She says to the speaker. "No, she hasn't woken up, but I have a question. Would it be enough for the jury to hear a recorded version of Elsa's explanation of her brother's death?" She pauses, hearing the answer, nodding with a serious expression. "Alright, yes, I understand. I'll call you early tomorrow if we get it. Yes, thank you. Goodbye." At this, she hangs up and turns to me with a smile.

"What did he said?" I ask.

"He said that it _could_ be enough, but it needs to be convincing. And I don't think that's going to happen unless Elsa doesn't know she's being recorded."

"I can do that." I say determined.

"Good, because now I'm going to see where your father is. I told him not to get lost gift-shopping." She shakes her head. "But I'm sure I can leave this to you." I nod and she kisses my temple. "Alright, good luck with Elsa." She says before getting up and leaving me alone in my girlfriend's room. I just hope this will be as easy as it sounds.

* * *

Three hours pass before Elsa shows any signs of life. I've been spending time checking facebook on my cellphone and mentally planning my conversation with Elsa, all while glancing at her every few minutes either to check if she's still sleeping or just to contemplate her beautiful face. Finally, she starts shifting a little, letting out a confused sound.

"Elsa?" I ask, which makes Elsa roll around to face me. She still looks sleepy, tired and sad, but despite all that, I can't help thinking her confused expression is kinda cute. "You finally woke up." I say with a smile.

"Yeah…" She tries to answer, but can't because of a series of coughs.

"Oh! Wait, I'll bring you some water." I exclaim, berating myself that I didn't think of this before, as I get up and run to the kitchen to bring her a glass of water. She takes it and drinks carefully before giving me the empty glass and a smile. "How are you feeling?" I ask.

"Awful." She admits with a grimace. "What happened after I passed out?"

"Not much." I shrug, trying not to give it too much importance, hoping that this way she won't worry. "The judge realized we probably wouldn't be able to continue with the trial today, so he postponed the rest of it until tomorrow. Oh! And he also said you'll have to see a psychologist to evaluate your state of mind, but don't worry, I'm sure it'll be fine!" I notice her concerned face and tried to change the topic, so she doesn't stress out about this. "Then we brought you here and called a doctor. He said you'd had two panic attacks in a row and that was probably what left you drained, so my mom and I helped you out of your clothes and let you sleep for a few hours."

"That's… quite a lot." She sighs. "After two panic attacks there's no way the court is going to think I can take care of myself. We've already lost." The way she says it… it's so sad, so hopeless. I don't like it one bit.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I frantically say as I reach to caress her shoulder. "We have to stay positive. After all, it's common enough for victims to have panic attacks when faced with their aggressor." I try to reason with her.

"But this is not that type of trial." She retorts, as negative as ever, and I roll my eyes. "Plus… it's also common for criminals to have panic attacks, especially when they're discovered."

I feel a chill running down my spine. What she just said… is she implying she _did_ kill her brother? But that can't be, I mean, Elsa is so sweet, so good… she couldn't hurt a fly, right? Though she did try to kill herself. And me. In one of her crazy attacks. Could that have been the case? I don't want to believe it, but…

In that moment I notice Elsa's confused face and so I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I should ask her before I start imagining the worst scenario.

"But you didn't… I-I mean…" I gulp. "You're not a… m-murderer, right?" I laugh nervously, because the idea of Elsa being a murderer is just so _ridiculous_, it can't be. But, if there's a chance it's true...

"No… I d-didn't k-k-kill him." She stutters. "It was an a-accident."

"Good." I sigh in relief, not doubting her words for even a second. If she says she didn't kill him, then I believe her. "But we should still practice what you're going to say tomorrow. You need to convince them that you're not some cold-blooded psychopath." I say, as a shove my hand into my pants' pocket and press the recording button on my phone.

"Okay." She sighs in resignation.

"So… how did your brother die? You've never told me that." I ask with curiosity.

"We went to the lake, on the first day of spring." She begins, sadness consuming her as the words tumble out. "We had brought our ice skates and we were having fun… But the ice was very thin, and when I went to the middle of the lake, despite my brother's warnings…" A sob interrupts her and I quickly squeeze her shoulder in another comforting gesture. "The ice started to crack, and I was too afraid to move. S-so he… he tried to pull me towards the shore using a small branch, but by doing so he ended up where I was before." As she whimpers I realize that just touching her arm isn't enough, and so I get into the bed with me and pull her close, relaxing when she snuggles against me.

"H-he fell?" I ask quietly, wanting to know the rest of the story, but at the same time hoping I could spare my girlfriend from reliving those events. "And… what happened next?" I ask when she nods.

"He yelled for help." She answers as her sobs grow stronger. "And I-I…" She closes her eyes and holds me tighter, obviously in a lot of pain.

"And you?" I prompt, not only because I want to get the recording and be done with it, but also because I think this will be liberating for Elsa, to get out that thing that's been tormenting her for years.

"I ran." She chokes out, her muscles becoming incredibly tense as she starts mumbling something I don't understand at first, but then I'm able to hear one single word. "Coward." She says with such a hateful tone, it gives me chills, but I still understand that she's saying it to herself. She _hates_ herself because of what happened that day.

"Elsa! Elsa!" I shake her, trying to make her stop emotionally abusing herself. After a few moments she finally looks at me with a sad expression. "Elsa, what…? What you just said…" I pause, searching for the right words to assure her that this was not her fault at all. "You're not a coward. Even if you did ran away, I don't think that makes you any less brave. You were only a little girl after all, weren't you?"

"I was eight." She nods.

"See? It's not your fault that you brother died. Even if you had stayed, probably all you would've managed was to die while trying to pull him out."

"But… I-I couldn't save him!" She protests. "I tried asking for help, but…" She whimpers. "I-it was too late." She pauses, her gaze turning dark for a moment. "Maybe I should've stayed and died with him instead."

"No!" I almost yell as I place a shaky hand on her cheek, making her look up at me. "Don't ever say that again, you hear me? _Never_ say that again." I reprimand her, remembering the pain I felt when I found out she had attempted suicide. And I didn't care about her back then nearly as much as I do now! If she did something like that again… I don't know what I'd do.

"I'm sorry." She chokes out. "I'm just a little depressed, it's all." She assures me. "Seeing my father didn't help much either, but I promise you, I'd never think of hurting myself ever again."

"You swear?" I ask worryingly.

"I swear." She gives me a little smile, before leaning in and chastely kissing my lips.

"Mmmhhh…" I moan, and instantly try to deepen the kiss, but before I can do that, she stops me.

"Anna." She says. "I'm sorry, but I'm really tired right now. I just want to sleep." She casts me an apologetic smile, but I can't help feeling disappointed, even if I know Elsa doesn't have the energy, nor the mood to make out right now.

"I understand. Would you like me to stay with you?" I ask, figuring that, if I can't make out with her, I may as well sleep with her for the first time… in a totally innocent way of course!

"Y-your parents won't mind?" She asks shyly, but I can see she wants to say yes.

"No, I'm sure they'll just assume I fell asleep while taking care of you." I shrug.

"… Okay." She answers with a tiny smile and a blush as she snuggles into the crook of my neck, making butterflies appear on my stomach.

"Alright, just give me a second." I say, remembering that I have to stop the recording; I really don't want the jury hearing my snores. Once that's been taken care of, I turn off the lights and, turning towards my girlfriend once more, I pull her close and hold her tightly against my chest. We're both so tired, it's no wonder that after just a few moments in this position, I feel my eyes closing.

"Goodnight... Anna." Elsa mumbles.

"'night..." I'm barely able to say before falling asleep.

* * *

The morning after the best night of my life so far (seriously, Elsa is super warm and comfy) Elsa went to her session with the psychologist who will evaluate her state of mind. I'm not worried because I know Elsa's not crazy and any person with common sense would notice that, but… I _am_ a little worried about her dad. I mean, he's always so calm, like he's above everything, and the way he lies… he's almost too good at it. I'll be nearly impossible to make him tell the truth, but I need to find a way to do it.

And so, while Mr. Gunnarson tells the judge about the recording and we wait for Elsa to come here from her session with the psychologist, I try to think of a plan to break Adgar Frost's façade. I know I can't just go there and slap him on his evil face until he snaps, nor can I call him names or anything childish like that.

No, I have to be smart, cold and calculating. Like him. I have to make him look like the bad guy, and the only opportunity I'll have to do that is when his lawyer asks me to go to the front so he can interrogate me. I'm sure he'll do this because I'm the most important witness, the only problem is… I'm not sure what he'll ask.

Still… I think I know his weak point. He sent Elsa to the States because he found out she's gay, right? That and, based on little she has told me, he yelled at her and insulted her a lot because of that. She hasn't told me the full story, but at least that was the impression I got, which means it's obviously a touchy subject. He's homophobic, that's very clear, but he also thinks he scared Elsa enough to turn her off women forever… so, what if I told him that's a lie? What would he do? How would he react? Surely he wouldn't be happy at all. He'd probably start yelling and lose composure. At least I hope so, and as soon as I get called to the front, I'll test my theory.

For now though, I listen to Elsa tell me how her session went, and she sounds optimistic enough, so that's one thing less to be worried about. It also helps when the judge plays the recording and Elsa's tension diminishes considerably as she hugs me tightly and thanks me over and over again. I guess I did well; to be honest for a moment I was afraid she'd be angry at me for doing this behind her back, but no, I did the right thing.

After that, Elsa answers all the other questions easily enough. At first she does show some discomfort, but soon she's quite confident, answering the questions with a blazing look of determination in her eyes. And even though I don't understand a thing she says, I bet she made her father look even worse because for a moment there I saw his jaw clenching in rage, even if he knows how to conceal it.

Once the lawyer's questions for Elsa are over, he calls her dad… and he's a cynical bastard just like yesterday, if the way Elsa looks angrily at him every time he says something is any indication. But at least today she doesn't start yelling at him and he doesn't say anything bad enough to trigger another panic attack, which is a good thing, but I still keep holding her hand to give her some sort of support.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, it's my turn.

To say I'm not nervous would be a blatant lie, but at least I have a plan and a purpose, so I don't feel so lost. I can do this. I know it. I have to unmask that cruel man and show the jury the monster that he really is.

"Ms. Summers." The lawyer starts interrogating me with the help of an interpreter. "You met Ms. Frost last year, correct?"

"Yes?" I answer, but it comes out more like a question because I expected him to ask me something more… relevant.

"And what's the first thing you thought when you saw her?"

"Damn, that girl is beautiful!" I say, because really, that's' the first thing that comes to my mind, and though it serves to my plan, I think I shouldn't have said it so bluntly, and so I blush before trying to correct my answer. "Uh… but that's probably not what you asked." I chuckle. "I thought she seemed lonely and kinda unapproachable. And cold, mostly cold." I sigh, remembering the first day of class, when I first tried to talk to her. "She had kind of a rough exterior, but the interior is worth it." I add, lovingly smiling at my girlfriend, who blushes and gives me a shy little grin.

"Yes, but you _did_ noticed something was off about her." He insists, pissing me off slightly.

"Well… not off." I clarify. "I said she was cold, and she almost never displayed any emotions, or reacted to anything. But once I started getting to know her better, I realized she probably wasn't what she seemed."

"But she kept herself isolated, almost like she despised human contact." He keeps on it, making me frown and glare at him for saying such things about my sweet Elsa.

"You know? That's kind of a rude thing to say about someone you don't know." I chastise him. "If she kept herself isolated it was only because she was scared of others, of the damage they might inflict on her like so many others have. People like her father, I might add." The lawyer's eyes widen at my answer, and I almost can't suppress a victorious smile.

_What do you think, huh? It didn't turn out as you thought? You wanted me to say Elsa was crazy? Well, guess what, that's not going to work!_

"I think her father was actually part of the reason she wouldn't speak to me at first." I add as an afterthought, remembering my plan and trying to redirect his questions towards it.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Vargson asks, confused.

"Well, he's homophobic, and he indoctrinated his daughter to believe homosexuality was wrong, so she obviously tried to repress her feelings by having no interaction with the girls she found… _attractive_." I purposely mark the word 'attractive', so it's clear that I mean it in a sexual way. Elsa shoots me a warning glance at this, but I ignore it; it's for her own good.

"Ms. Summers, with all due respect I don't think that my client would've taught his daughter such a thing." He says trying to stay calm, but I can see he's starting to get nervous.

"Really? Because the first time I tried to kiss her she was a trembling and crying mess because she thought she was doing something wrong." I can't even begin to describe his scared face as he found himself not knowing what to do now, which of course only made my smile widen even more and continue speaking much more confident now. "Even after we became _girlfriends_ she didn't want anyone to know about our relationship because she thought they would all hate her like her father did." I turn to see Elsa, who's watching her father with a terrified face. "Hell, even _now_ she's trembling in fear because she didn't want her father to know about us!"

At my words, all heads in the room turn towards her and she cowers even more. I instantly regret having spoken too much, thinking that maybe I crossed a line and this plan was stupid, when her father suddenly gets up and starts yelling.

"Er det sant, Elsa?!" He says, and his hateful tone even makes me flinch. "Er det sant du er en jævla _lesbisk_?!" Elsa shakes her head in panic, her expression so fearful and so pained, that it makes me want to go there and hug her, protect her from that man.

"Mr. Frost…" The judge tries to interfere, but Elsa's father isn't listening to anyone. He's past the point of reasoning… which granted, is what I wanted, but not if it makes Elsa look so terrified.

He keeps yelling, and Elsa starts crying, and soon enough a couple of court officers rush to try and placate him, while the judge tells me to get back to my seat. I don't waste any time, running towards my girlfriend and gently cradling her in my arms, rubbing her back as she cries and trembles. Whatever he said is hurting her deeply.

I apologize over and over again, because even if this clinches our victory, I didn't want to cause Elsa such discomfort. I expected her father to start yelling at _me_, not at her. I didn't want him to hurt her. I just wanted to protect her and I failed.

I, however, don't have much time to keep berating myself, because soon enough the judge announces that the jury is ready to pronounce their verdict (I know this because the interpreter tells us) and fortunately Elsa is composed enough to listen attentively to his words, even though I can see she's still a little shaken and tense.

The judge starts saying something, and I see Elsa's father about to protest, but then the hammer sounds and everyone starts getting up and walking outside. I turn to Elsa, trying to see any clue as to what the judge said, but her expression is the same as before, so I ask the interpreter instead.

"What did he say?"

"You won." He starts, but I don't let him say more as I start jumping up and down in excitement and congratulating my girlfriend. I knew we'd win, of course, more so after how her father started yelling today, but still… it's nice to be sure about it.

However, while I'm doing my little happy dance, Elsa's father approaches to her and tells her something that makes a fearful look appear on her eyes. I frown at this and quickly go towards him with my best glare firmly in place.

"Hey, leave her alone!" I say, standing between the two of them in a protective manner. "Don't you think you've already hurt her enough?" Adgar only looks angrily at me for a second, but I'm able to hold his gaze until he turns around and exits the room.

"Are you okay?" I say, turning to look at Elsa, once he's out.

"Kind of." She shrugs, trying to act like she's fine, but clearly she's still tense, like she's waiting for someone to appear at any moment and tell her this is all a sick joke. "I just can't believe that we won." She admits, and I quickly go to take her hands soothingly.

"We did win, it's real, I promise." I assure her. "But I can understand that it still doesn't feel quite like it for you. However, we still have a week before we go back to the States. I hope that's enough for you."

"Yes, and we will be relaxing and having fun and visiting places." My father interferes, giving Elsa a gentle smile, and I mentally thank him. "You'll be fine, Elsa."

"Yeah, it may take some time, but you'll get used to be finally free of that man." Gerda adds and at this my girlfriend finally smiles, her shoulders relaxing considerably. I know she's still tense and distressed, probably due to some kind of post-traumatic syndrome, but at least I know it'll all be fine from now on. We're together, we have all our lives ahead of us and we love each other. Just like it should be.


	24. The perfect ending for a perfect day

**Chapter 24: A perfect ending for a perfect day.**

It's been a week, and let me tell you, this was without a doubt the best week of my life! We spent our time sightseeing and relaxing. Sometimes the excursions involved all of us, including Kai and Gerda. Other times it was just me, my parents and my wonderful girlfriend, who by the way is _a lot_ better now. I mean, yeah, the first few days she was still a little tense, mostly because her father told her that he'd take revenge (such a sore loser). But thanks to my wonderful idea, she's got him out of her life for good.

Which idea, you say? My idea was for her to sell her part of the company to her father's most important competitor; this, coupled with his image being ridiculed by the press due to the abuse he inflicted into his own daughter (that bastard) forced the board to remove his title as CEO. So now he has no job, influence or power, and the best part is Elsa now has a far vaster fortune then he does (Can you imagine? I'm dating a millionaire!... Which kind of freaks me out a little, but hey, it's the same Elsa. Just… with money). It took a while to convince her (I swear sometimes she's too good for her own good), but at the end she agreed with me and, since her father hasn't done anything except staying at his house and hiding from the press, I think my plan was a total success.

But anyways, enough of that. Today Elsa is going to take me on a personal date that should last the whole day. Though I have no idea how she convinced my father to allow her to do that, since he's overprotective of me and he's the jealous kind of father, so… But she did! And I couldn't be happier, even if she's not telling me where are we going, just to bring my jacket along (which, honestly, I'd do anyways, because it's too cold here to be summer) and be prepared to have some fun. I just hope she's not taking me to _another_ museum (seriously, I swear she and my parents are only doing that to torture me now).

"Are you ready, Anna?" She asks, as she peeks into my room.

"Just… one second." I say, wincing as a strand of my wild-looking hair gets caught in the brush. I hear her giggle and I pout. "Ugh… you know how difficult my hair is in the mornings."

"That's true." She smiles, approaching me. "May I?" She gestures to my brush.

"Huh? You wanna brush my hair?" I ask, surprised, but still hand the brush to her.

"Of course! I love your hair!" She answers happily as she starts delicately running the torture device… uh, I mean, the _brush_, through my mane.

"You say that now. Wait until you're finished with it." I smirk.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad." She protests. "You just need a bit of conditioner."

"I hate that thing." I mumble grumpily, making her laugh, which honestly was my intention.

Then we fall in a comfortable silence, only interrupted by my occasional grunts whenever Elsa pulls too hard on a knot. However, I must admit that her hands in my hair feel really good. She's gentle and careful, and I love the way she smiles as she runs her fingers through my fiery locks of hair. All this has an intimate feeling about it. Not in a sexual way, more like... romantic, and maybe that's what makes me offer Elsa to also comb her hair once she's braided mine.

"But Anna, I've already combed my hair." She protests, pointing to her regal-looking bun, but I'm not having any of it.

"Yeah, like you were going to some office meeting, or other serious shit like that." I answer. "I mean, I like your bun, you know? But it makes me feel like you're going to take me to see the kings of Norway or something."

"Okay… what do you suggest?" She asks raising a sexy eyebrow.

"Braid!" I answer without missing a beat.

"But…"

"Aw, come on, it's been _ages_ since I last saw you wearing your usual braid!" I insist, before she can blatantly refuse.

"Fine." She sighs, handing the hairbrush over to me. "Just… promise me you won't take long; the driver is already waiting for us."

"Wait… _driver_?" I ask dumbly as I get up and let Elsa sit down in front of the mirror instead.

"Yeah." She tries to shrug casually, like she's had a driver all her life. But I can see the barely contained little grin on her face, and I know she only hired a driver because she's trying to impress me.

"I already _am_ in love with you, you know?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as I start freeing her hair. "You don't need to woo me." I tease her.

"I know." She chuckles. "I'm just not confident enough to drive a limo on my own."

"You rented a fucking limo?!" I almost shriek, to which Elsa only smiles in the sexiest way possible. "H-how… Whe-… Why?!"

"Because I wanted to woo you, despite the fact that I know you're already in love with me." She shrugs.

"Does that means you want to get into my pants?" I joke, to which my adorably innocent girlfriend's face turns scarlet red as she starts stammering and trying to excuse her actions. It only serves to make me laugh like crazy. "Relax, I was just kidding."

_Though _I_ do want to get into_ your_ pants… wait, what?!_

I blush and redirect my gaze towards her luscious hair, through which I'm running my fingers now, enjoying its softness and marveling at its light color. Then, I start brushing it, quickly realizing there's no need for that; it's already perfect (damn! I wish I had that hair) before starting to braid it. Because Elsa has like twice as much hair as I do, it doesn't seem to be able to sit in one single braid despite my best efforts. Still, I somehow manage to braid it without hurting Elsa or making a mess out of her hair. But… her bangs are to large now to be left like that; they cover her beautiful eyes! And that's a serious offense against me.

"I need a haircut." Elsa says, running her fingers through her bangs in an attempt to brush them back and out of her vision field.

"Maybe…" I answer as I search for something to comb back the offensive locks is hair, finally spotting a can of spray gel and taking it. "Close your eyes." I warn her before pulling back her bangs and using the spray to fix them in that position… and the result takes my breath away. I mean, of course Elsa looks beautiful with any hairstyle, but like this? She's sexy as hell! She looks like a model or something, which is kinda unfair because she's not even trying.

"Wow." I breathe in awe.

"You like it?" She asks, running her fingers trough her hair.

"I love it!" I beam. "What about you?" I ask, because it's her hair after all, and she should be able to wear it however she likes it.

"I think I do too." She smiles and keeps staring at her reflection for a few more seconds before realizing that it's getting late and quickly getting up, taking my hand and start pulling me out of here. "Come on, we're going late."

* * *

The limo is great, I must admit, very comfortable and spacious, with leather seats… but maybe it's a little too much for a simple date. Unless of course she's going to ask me to marry her, which is highly unlikely... I think. Anyways, on the way to wherever we're going, we talk a little, kiss a lot and even make out on the back seat, Elsa on top of me this time, and I must admit… I'm liking this position very much. The way her breasts squeeze between our bodies is just… Damn! I don't want this to stop _ever_. Unfortunately the drive lasts a mere twenty minutes, which is hardly enough to satisfy me, but Elsa's clearly excited about whatever we're doing, and so I don't complain and follow her out of the luxurious car.

I never even noticed that we'd arrived to the great lagoon that opens to the sea (_fjord_, Elsa corrects me), but here it is, and it's simply magnificent! In the light of day it looks blue, but like a very beautiful kind of blue (not as beautiful as Elsa's eyes, but still) with a lot of different shades, and the many white boats docked there just make it look like it's taken out of a postal. I smile at the sight, enjoying the cool and salty breeze caressing my face and filling me with happiness.

"You like it?" Elsa asks with a smile.

"Of course!" I exclaim.

"I'm glad, because I thought you'd like an opportunity to see it up close." She says as she takes my hand and starts dragging me towards the docks.

"Wait… we're going to get into a boat?" I ask, a little nervous, because I'm pretty unbalanced on earth, and so I don't think in a moving boat I'd be much better.

"Not exactly." She smirks sexily as she stops in front of a row of…

"Kayaks?" I exclaim. I've always wanted to try a kayak someday, but of course where I live there are not many opportunities.

"Well… If you want. I could always rent a boat instead…" She starts fidgeting nervously, but I quickly take her hand and smile at her reassuringly.

"I love kayaks." At this, she smiles widely and I add playfully. "I've never been in one though. I'll probably end up drowning."

"Well then, we'll drown together." She replies before going to speak with the guy organizing the kayak trips and paying him for one hour. Then she gestures me to go put on a lifejacket before the guy instructs us how to get into those things, hold the paddles and how to row properly. Once he's sure we won't fall into the water anytime soon, he lets us go and we part (each on in our own kayak) towards the blue waters.

At first it's quite difficult, and the paddles feel way too heavy in my arms, not to mention the position is kind of awkward, but at least we're moving… somewhere. Not exactly to the front. I think we're going in circles. Yes, _we_. Elsa seems to be having even more problems than I, and her jacket is already wet because of the splashing the rowing does when she tries to correct herself. She looks cute so concentrated and exhausted though.

"What?" She asks when she sees me giggling.

"Nothing." I shrug. "You just look so cute when you're trying to row."

"You too." She teases, but since she was concentrating on rowing, she doesn't even look at me.

"At least_ I_ can move in a straight line." I answer, splashing a little bit of water towards her as I start rowing, trying to show off, only to end up completely soaked because of the splashing, and spitting out cold and salty water.

"Riiiight." She rolls her eyes as she approaches me with difficulty. "I doubt you can do that without falling in." At this, I blow a raspberry at her and keep trying… with the exact same result. Still, I don't give up and Elsa follows me, amused grin on her face.

* * *

Half an hour later, my arms feel like lead and I cannot move them without wincing, so Elsa decides it's time to return to the dock. Then, she takes me to relax and have some coffee (something my tired body really appreciates) before going to… an ice rink. As if I wasn't sore enough.

I don't protest though, Elsa seems to be very happy about this and I don't want to be a killjoy. Though I still tell her I don't know how to skate, and she tells me that she'll teach me.

We go inside and it's as cold as outside, but that was to be expected. Elsa pays for both of us, despite my protests, we each take a pair of skates and step into the rink.

The first thing I think is "Holy shit! I'm going to slip!" But fortunately, I manage to hold onto the railing and somewhat remain upright, even though I still feel like a newborn Bambi learning to walk.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asks with an amused expression, standing on her skates like she was born with them. And now that I think about it, she probably was, I mean, she _is_ Norwegian after all.

"I-I'm fine." I lie and give her a little smile that I hope doesn't seem too nervous, but apparently it does, as she raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Really." I stubbornly insist, taking one little step to prove my point. "See?" I say proudly before feeling one of my legs slipping to the front and the other one to the back, forcing me to clutch to the railing as if my life depended on it in a very awkward position. "Okay, maybe not so fine." I admit with a little smile as Elsa approaches me and helps me regain my standing position.

"Don't worry, its normal." She assures me. "It took me a while to learn how to skate too."

"Did you take classes?" I ask curious, since it's pretty obvious her father wasn't the one who taught her.

"No… my brother did. He… he taught me." She answers with a sad expression. It's clear that Jack is still a touchy subject for her, probably because she never got to properly mourn his death back then. I just hope she learns to let go in the future.

"Oh." I say, not knowing how to answer. "Well… I hope he taught you well, because you're now dealing with the clumsiest student ever." I say playfully, hoping to distract her from her gloomy memories, and apparently succeeding, because she's now smiling fondly at me.

"Aw, come on. You're not _that_ clumsy." She counters.

"Try me." I answer defiantly.

"Very well." She agrees, taking my hand and starting to instruct me how to skate.

My first few steps are, as I expected, difficult as hell and I almost fell like ten times in less than five minutes. Fortunately, Elsa was there holding me and preventing me from falling into the cold ice. After a while though (and lots of almost-giving-up moments), I was able to let go of the railing and just clutch into Elsa's arm with all my strength as she practically dragged me across the rink.

"Anna, relax. You're going to break my arm." She jokes with a clearly not-angry tone, but I still feel bad for hurting her, and so I relax my grip a little.

"Sorry." I say sheepishly. "I really don't want to fall. What if someone skates over my hand and cuts off my fingers?" At this, she giggles, covering her mouth in an adorable way.

"You know these blades are not sharp enough to do that, right?"

"R-really?" I ask, blushing and feeling like a total fool.

"Don't worry, it's usual for people to think that because they indeed were that sharp before."

"Oh." I nod in understanding, but as I do so, I look up into her eyes and… gosh, they're so beautiful! And we're so close, I want to kiss her! And she's looking at me with that tender little smile that just melts my heart, and…

Since I was lost in Elsa's eyes, I didn't notice there was someone in front of me, and so I ran into them, but instead of just stumbling a little and apologizing like a normal person would, I freaked out thinking I was going to fall and, by doing so, I let go of Elsa's hand, which of course made me freak out even more, and ended up stumbling in the slippery ice, desperately trying to remain in a standing position. But just when I'm about to fall, Elsa manages to hold my hands, however, the momentum I had and that was driving me to the front, beats Elsa's attempt to save me, and we both end up falling.

When I open my eyes, the first thing I notice is that my face is on something soft, warm and blue that's heaving up and down, while the rest of my body, except my knees, are also over something not cold and hard as the ice, so I assume I landed on Elsa. However, as I raise my head, I realize exactly _on which_ part of Elsa my face landed.

"Oh my god! Elsa, I'm sorry." I apologize, blushing madly as I distance myself from her, my eyes unconsciously being drawn towards the spot I was before; Elsa's deliciously full breasts.

"I-It's fine." She says, blushing too and deviating her gaze. "It happens." She brushes it off as she stands and helps me getting up. Once we're both standing though, I notice she has some ice on her back, and so I start cleaning it off with my hands.

"Oh, gosh, I hope your jacket won't get wet."

"Don't worry; it's waterproof." She assures me, and I nod, but still keep cleaning her nonetheless… until I hear and squeak and feel a softer-than-her-back region, noticing my hand is a little bit too low to be appropriate and quickly pull it back as if I had been burned.

"Sorry… again." I say, now probably as red as a tomato. "I-it's just… you jacket is too low, and so I didn't notice… not like your… ehem… butt isn't noticeable; it is. I mean, I see it all the time. Well, not _all_ the time, that'd be creepy, but…"

"Anna." Elsa saves me from embarrassing myself further. "It's fine, I think I got the point." She smiles, nervousness clear on her face. I just hope it's a good kind of nervousness and that she doesn't think I'm a perv or something.

"Right." I nod quickly, before clearing my throat awkwardly, ashamed to admit even to myself how much that little moment with Elsa turned me on. "Ugh… I think I'll just go sit down for a while." I point to the benches that are just outside the rink.

"O-of course." She agrees. "I'll just skate around a few times." Then she seems to realize something. "Do you want to me to help you get there?" I think about saying no, because in my head keep appearing less-than-appropriate thoughts about her, but I realize I won't manage to get there in one peace. So I nod and try to keep my gaze on the ice and have innocent thoughts as she guides me across the rink.

* * *

I spent half an hour just watching Elsa graciously glide across the ice. She's just so… graceful, she seems like she's dancing. Plus, she's pretty beautiful, and sexy, and her legs are so enticing, and her hips, and… yeah, you get the idea. Yes, I was ogling her, as guilty as that makes me feel. But hey, we're girlfriends, I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?

So, after that, we returned to the rink, and fortunately this time I didn't fall on her. I didn't magically learn to skate either, but… it's a start. Then we went to the cinema and watched a movie in Norwegian of which I didn't understand a word. Granted, at first Elsa tried to translate it for me, but soon desisted when she noticed I was more interested in making out with her and promptly complied. I mean, it's been a while since we've kissed as passionately as this, thanks to my parent's constant watch.

But anyways, then we went to have dinner at some fancy restaurant and ate exotic Norwegian food that, if a little strange for me (I'm more used to pizzas and hot dogs), tasted good enough. Plus, the atmosphere was very romantic, with the soft violin music and whatnot. We talked about many things, including how Elsa was feeling now that she's free of her father, and though I can see she's still a bit sensitive about it, she was able to answer my questions without crying, which is a _huge_ improvement. I'm happy for her.

Now, however, we're exiting the restaurant… and the limo is not there, which is strange since Elsa told me she'd rented it for the whole day.

"Uh, where's the…?"

"The limo?" Elsa says before I can and I nod. "As nice as it is, it won't be able to take us to our next destination."

"Our next destination? I thought we were goingback to the hotel now." I say surprised because it's already sunset. "You know my father will kill us if we don't return on time."

"He would." She agrees. "If I hadn't asked for permission." Elsa adds with a playful smile.

"How long do we have?" I ask curious as to how much father was really willing to relent.

"Don't worry about it now." She shrugs. "Come." She guides me to a very nice looking blue jeep… without driver.

"Uh… you'll drive?" I ask, uncertainty clear on my voice.

"Yeah, I've been practicing for months now, so don't worry; it'll be fine." She assures me, and she looks so happy I can't bring myself to keep protesting. "Plus, I wanted us to be truly alone for this."

"Why? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." She answers, much to my frustration. "Which reminds me…" She opens the jeep and pulls out a nice-looking green handkerchief and hands it to me. "I need you to cover your eyes."

"You're not kidnapping me, are you?" I ask playfully.

"Let's face it, even if I was, you wouldn't be opposed." She retorts.

"Fair enough." I admit as I unsuccessfully try to tie the handkerchief around my eyes before Elsa comes to my help. Once that's taken care of, she helps me into the car and gets inside herself, starting it and driving off to god knows where.

* * *

After having driven for what feels like an eternity with my eyes blindfolded, first through what apparently was a highway, and then down a graveled road, Elsa finally parks the jeep. She gets out of the car and comes help me out. I must admit, I am very intrigued about where she took me, but she won't let me get off the blindfold, at least not yet.

And so she guides me through a rocky path (so rocky in fact that I almost fall a few times) that smells like pines, which makes me believe we are in some kind of forest. I can't be sure though; it's too dark now that the sun has settled. Before, I could _at least _see the light thought the cloth.

"We're here." Elsa says as we come to a stop.

"Great! Can I remove the blindfold now?" I ask, almost too eagerly.

"Yes, you can." She chuckles amused as I take it off… and what I see literally takes my breath away.

We're in front of a magnificent lake, so calm and pure that you can clearly see the stars reflected on it's surface, and it's surrounded by mountains with thousands of tall pines, but what's really, really impressive is what's in the sky. The freaking northern lights! A curtain of dancing colors that covers the majority of the view and reflects into the lake, painting it all around us of greens and yellows and reds. I never thought I'd ever see a spectacle like this in person, and let me tell you, it's way better than on TV or YouTube. Heck, it's even better than in a 3D movie theater!

"You like it?" Elsa asks, making me turn to see her lovely smiling face.

"Are you kidding me?! I love it!" I exclaim as I practically jump over her and kiss her like there's no tomorrow, making her giggle. "How did you know about the northern lights?" I ask, separating only enough to let her talk.

"I didn't." She answers, and I give her a dubious look. "Really, I picked this place only because it's great even without the northern lights. It was just good luck." She shrugs, and I would have doubted her words if not for how she looks as impressed and surprised by the natural phenomenon as I do.

"Then we must be the luckiest couple ever." I say as I return to watch the lights, not letting go off my girlfriend's waist just as she doesn't let go of my shoulders.

We stay like that for a while, not saying anything and just marveling at the sight before us, but as we do so, I start reflecting about what's happened the last few months, how I went from being Elsa's worst bully to her girlfriend and support, and wonder why I didn't start with this? Why did I stay with Hans' gang even after the first day of classes when they showed me they weren't good people at all. But then I realize, some things are necessary to experience before you can move on with the good stuff. Even if I still wished I hadn't hurt Elsa like I did.

But... I needed to be with those nasty people in order to realize high school is not like in the movies, and the popular people are not always the good ones. I had to become Hans' friend with benefits and experience all those bad things he did to me so I could realize the handsome guy is not always the one for you. I had to see Elsa at her lowest so I could see how awful of a person I'd become and _really_ try to change. But most importantly, I had to fall in love with Elsa without knowing it so I could realize… The One, that person you wish to find that will love you forever and you will love back, isn't always who you first think it is; they may not even be the gender you think they are, but if you follow your heart, it will eventually lead you to them. And all will be alright, perfect, as it should be.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, this is the official end of this chapter, the rest is pure smut, so if you want to read it, go ahead, if not… well, you're not missing much. Whatever you decide, thank you so much for reading this story, I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it, and if you haven't checked Elsa's POV yet, maybe you could now? Please?**

**Anyways, sorry for the delay, and see you soon. There's still an epilogue left :D**

**Also, if you want to see a drawing I made of this chapter, please check my Deviant art, Tania Hylian :)**

**Thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13 :)**

* * *

"Anna." Elsa's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and when I look up at the sky again, I notice the northern lights are gone.

"Hmh?" I ask, turning to look at my girlfriend, who suddenly looks very nervous.

"There's… something more."

"Another surprise?" I exclaim, not expecting this.

"Uh… kind of, but this one... you don't have to go through it right now if you don't want to." She quickly assures me, avoiding eye contact and rubbing her neck nervously.

"What is it, Elsa?" I ask, curious to know what's making her so anxious.

"Uhm… come." She says, instead of answering right away, and starts dragging me towards a nearby little cabin that I hadn't noticed until now. Once we're there, she pulls out some keys and opens the door before going to the chimney and trying to up start a fire. Meanwhile, I look around, noticing there are two doors, leading to a small kitchen and a bathroom respectively, while we are in the only room equipped solely with a king-sized bed and a bedside table.

"Elsa… what is this place?" I ask.

"A cabin." She answers, like it wasn't obvious. "I-I… I kinda bought it." She admits hesitantly.

"What? Why would you do that?" I almost shout, because let's face it, as beautiful as it is, it's not like you could actually live here. Sure, it's good for a weekend escapade, but that's about it, and well... Elsa won't be able to come here very often once we get back to the USA.

"Because I'm hoping it'll have a sentimental meaning after tonight." She says, so quietly that, if she wasn't the only one speaking in kilometers, I would've missed it. But her answer only leaves me more confused, even if I _am_ starting to have an idea of why she brought me here. I just don't want to get my hopes up yet, and so I decide to keep asking instead.

"Why? Why did you bring me here?" At my question she finally gets up, having successfully lit the fire, and turns to me, still avoiding eye contact.

"Uhm... I-I... You've been..." She stammers, unable to say a whole sentence, her face bright red now.

"Elsa, calm down. Take a deep breath." I instruct as I walk towards her and take her hands reassuringly, watching as she does as I said and, once she isn't so tense anymore, I ask again. "Good, now tell me why are we here? I promise whatever your answer is, I won't reject you or laugh or anything, so please don't worry about it."

"Okay." She nods, still a bit nervous, but not as much as before. "Well, you've been insisting for a while to..." She blushes and I hales deeply before continuing with great difficulty. "T-to have... To have... Relations." She gulps audibly, and I blush at her words. She made me sound like I'm desperate for sex or something... Which maybe I was, but whatever. "A-and I know you said you'd wait until I was ready, but... With my father's trial and all, I postponed this a little too long." She sighs.

"No, it's fine, really." I assure her. "I said I'd wait and I will, if you're not ready yet." I say, because it's quite obvious she's too nervous right now. She sighs in relief and finally looks up at me, giving me a happy smile that makes my cheeks blush. She looks so precious right now.

"I'm glad to hear that." She says, and I can't help feeling a little disappointed. I _did_ want to have sex with her. "_But_, I am ready now, and I want to have... T-to have sex. With you. Now." She blushes even more, if possible and looks at me expectantly.

For a moment, I can't believe what she just said, but when it finally sinks in... I practically jump over her, connecting our lips in a messy and desperate kiss, unconsciously pushing her until I've trapped her against the wall. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to mind as she kisses me back just as fervently, even if she does let out a little squeal when my right hand finds it's way under her shirt, but finding her jacket is keeping me from moving it any higher, I quickly separate from her and, silently asking for permission, quickly unzip the offensive cloth before she hurriedly takes it off and throws it away.

"You too." She says breathlessly, tugging my jacket, asking me to remove it, to which I comply immediately, then returning with kissing her as I start to unbutton her shirt, earning a needy moan from her when I kiss the skin that's being exposed.

Suddenly, when I've already opened her shirt and I'm separating to watch her exposed belly, I find myself being pushed backwards until my knees connect with the mattress, and because of it I end up falling on my back, Elsa coming to straddle me soon after, giving me a clear view of her exposed torso. And let me tell you, what a beautiful body she has! There's much white skin that for a moment I think I'll faint, until I remind myself that I have to breathe in order to keep conscious.

"Wow, you're so beautiful." I breathe out as I bring up my hands to caress her little waist, so soft, so warm.

"Thanks." She says, blushing, not as confident as before. "Uhm… I'd like it if you…" She gestures to my shirt and I understand what she's asking me to do, and before I can think twice about it, I'm tossing my shirt to the other end of the room. However, when I notice Elsa's intense gaze traveling through my mostly naked torso, my confidence evaporates and I deviate my gaze, nervously biting my lip.

"You're not so bad yourself." She whispers into my ear, making me shudder in pleasure, though still catching me out of guard. When did she get so close?

Suddenly, she starts kissing my jaw softly, almost hesitantly, going further down until her wonderful lips are pressed against my collarbone. I moan, unable to contain myself; I can already feel my lower parts aching with need. But… I still need more, and Elsa is going a little too slowly for my liking, not descending more, not trying to touch my breasts, even if I can see in her eyes that she wants to; she's just too shy to ask permission and too considerate to do it without asking, so I decide to give her a little push.

I reach to take her hair, and gently guide her kisses to my chest, encouraging her to explore further. At first she's hesitant, like she doesn't know what she's supposed to do, but then she seems to understand and brings up her hand to cup my left breast. Which is clothed, unfortunately. Still, I feel an explosion of pleasure when she starts massaging it, even if it's not enough for me.

"Off." I groan, signaling her to help me take off my brassiere, to which her face becomes even redder. Thankfully she still complies, taking it off and throwing it to god-knows where, her hand immediately returning to its previous spot, only this time it feels better. No one has ever touched me like this, and I've often doubted it felt so good, but yes; it's the most pleasure I've ever experienced, and it's even better when she starts softly pinching my nipple, which instantly turns hard at the contact.

"Is this… good?" She asks, unsure.

"More than good." I pant before reaching up and pulling her down for a heated kiss, enjoying now more than ever this position, because I can feel her naked skin all over mine… well kind off. That stupid brassiere of hers is still in the way. And so, my hands find their way to her back and quickly unclasp the stupid undergarment, earning a surprised squeal from Elsa. "Sorry, is this okay?" I mumble into her mouth.

"Y-yes. Just… caught me by surprise, is all." She assures me, separating slightly from me for a moment, just enough to get rid of the brassiere, before continuing with the kiss. I can feel her hard nipples against my chest, and I ache to touch them, but right now I can't, so I have to settle with making my way down her lower back, hesitating a moment before touching her clothed butt. "A-Anna." She moans as she thrusts her hips, increasing my confidence and making a small smile appear on my face.

I start squeezing her rear, enjoying very much the sensation of it in my hands, but I'm distracted from my task when I feel Elsa traveling down my collarbone with her kisses until she's kissing my right breast. I almost jump at the contact, so unexpected but also so pleasant that I can't contain myself.

"Are you okay?" She asks concerned, but her breathe against my breasts just makes me shudder in pleasure.

"I'm fine, please don't stop." I practically beg, to which she complies suddenly taking my nipple into her mouth, sucking. "Elsa!" I almost scream, pressing her harder against myself. She keeps sucking my nipple as with her hand she massages my other breast. She may not be the most experienced in these kinds of things, as it's obvious because her actions aren't confident, but I don't care; right now I'm in heaven, just because it's _her. _Because she's the one doing this to me.

Finally, however, she separates from me and reaches down for the hem of my jeans, looking at me to ask permission. I nod eagerly and soon my last layers of clothing are being thrown and I'm laying totally naked under my girlfriend, which is really exciting, but… I can't help feeling a little self-conscious. I didn't shave my legs, and though I don't have many hairs there yet, some of them are noticeable. Plus, I've never done anything with my hair down _there_, so it's just a red bush and I don't know if she'll like it or if it'll be a huge turn off. So I wait anxiously as her eyes travel through my legs, fighting the urge to close them or covering myself, until she finally speaks.

"Wow. So gorgeous." She says, almost to herself, making me blush and giggle, all my insecurities flying out of the window.

"I bet you're gorgeous as well, though I can't be sure until I see you naked." I say with a confident tone, to which she blushes and stammers something unintelligible before finally unbuttoning her jeans and kicking them off her legs. She still has her panties on though, and they are a cute soft blue color and have a white little ribbon. I would've liked them if they weren't covering Elsa's (no doubt) beautiful womanhood. I can't help it when I reach forward and practically rip them off her body. I can see Elsa fighting the urge to cover herself, but I don't care as I gawk at something more magnificent than the northern lights: her naked body. She's so flawless I'm almost jealous, except that I know this magnificent sculpture-like body of hers is mine to touch, to explore, to taste… oh, I really can't wait to feel it all.

I reach out one hand towards her pelvis, but she stops me. I look up at her and pout, but she just chuckles in response.

"Don't be so eager." She says in a teasing tone before leaning in and whispering to my ear in the huskiest, sexiest tone ever. "I want to make love to you first." I only manage to utter a shuddering moan before she starts kissing my neck again, as her hands play with my nipples. Now we're both truly naked, and the skin-to-skin contact only adds to the pleasure. She's so soft and warm… I can't have enough of her. I thrust up my hips involuntarily, and she answers entwining out legs together, making me blush when her knee presses against my soaking groin.

"Fuck! Elsa!" I moan, as she rubs my sensitive clit. This is _way_ better than masturbation.

"You like it?" She asks, in a tone that lets me know she already knows the answer. I nod nonetheless.

"More… please." I pant.

Fortunately, I don't have to tell her twice, because Elsa's left hand soon releases my swollen nipple and makes its way down (a little too slowly for my taste) until it reaches my hip. There Elsa stops, looking at me for confirmation. I give her a firm nod, trying to swallow the nervousness that's building on the pit of my stomach, and soon enough, I feel her long fingers gently touching my most sensitive area.

"Oh, Elsa!" I cry in pleasure as she presses down on my clit, before being silenced by a loving kiss. I kiss her back fervently as she keeps slowly rubbing my bundle of nerves, enough to give me pleasure, but not enough to make me orgasm. "Fingers. Inside… Please." I beg, not caring how lewd or needy that sounded, I just need to reach the sweet release.

She does as I say, and instantly I let out a loud moan, feeling how her long fingers slowly come in and out, in and out, while her thumb keeps working on my clit. Soon, she finds my sweet spot, and I have to bite down on her shoulder to keep myself from screaming like crazy. I also run my nails across her back, and in the back of my mind I know I'm being a little rough on her, but I can't help it and she doesn't protest, so I assume it's okay.

My climax is approaching, I can feel the pressure building, but… I still need a little push, something that makes me taste heaven. And I know just what it is.

"Elsa…" I pant after releasing her shoulder and giving it some soothing licks. "Please… bite me." I beg with a husky voice.

"W-what?" She asks, searching in my eyes as if she can't believe what I just requested.

"Please…" I beg again, as I expose my neck, making her understand what I mean. Thankfully, she doesn't argue and carefully approaches her lips to my throat, placing a soft kiss in there before opening her mouth and capturing my tender skin with her teeth, however, she doesn't bite hard enough, in my opinion. "Harder!" I instruct, to which she hesitates an instant before complying with my unusual request, biting hard enough to leave marks, but I don't care, because this gives me the pleasure enough to come, screaming Elsa's name over and over again, feeling the walls of my vagina squeezing tightly Elsa's fingers as she keeps on with her ministrations until I go limp under her.

Elsa finally lets go of me and gently licks the spot where she bit me, before extracting her fingers from my wet hole and eying them curiously for a moment. I look at them too and realize they're covered in my fluids, which makes me blush… not as much as when Elsa takes her fingers into her mouth and moans loudly though.

"I knew you'd taste delicious." She says, after having licked her fingers clean.

"I-I…" I search for something to say, but apparently my brain stopped working for a moment.

"I also knew you'd be loud." She chuckles.

"I-is that why you brought me to a cabin in the middle of the woods?" It's the first thing I think on saying.

"No." She laughs. "But it sure came in handy."

"Hey, I'm not that loud!" I protest.

"Of course you are." She teases, leaning in and giving me a peck on the lips, that I soon deepen until out tongues are dancing together and I'm tasting myself on her mouth, and let me tell you, that's the sexiest thing I've ever experienced.

Finally, we separate only when we both need some air.

"Your turn." I say with a Cheshire-like smile.

"W-what?" She stammers nervously, her cheeks reddening quite a lot. "I-I mean… you don't have to…"

"But you want me to." I say confidently. "Do you not?"

"I-I…" She bites her lip before admitting softly what I already knew she'd say. "Y-yes." However, I notice a slight hesitation in her words.

"But?" I ask, after all, I want this to be perfect.

"But… I'm nervous." She admits, sighing. "This whole physical-contact thing… is still new to me, and, as much as I like it… it makes me anxious." She grimaces. "I'm sorry, I know I'm being silly."

"No, I understand." I assure her. "And you're not silly; we all have our own fears." I pause, caressing her back softly. "I want to make love to you… but I want to feel comfortable about it, so I won't force you if you're not ready yet." I say giving her a little smile, to which she answers with a shy one of her own.

"T-thanks… It's good to know." She pauses, thinking for a moment before finally returning her gaze at me. "But I do want to… t-to feel your touch in me." She blushes. "Just… take it slow, okay?"

"Okay." I say, glad that she's going to let me pleasure her, before gently pushing her on her back and straddling her, switching our positions.

I start by kissing her, slowly and tenderly, making sure she knows she's safe with me, that I love her and care for her and would never hurt her. Soon enough, I feel the tension in her shoulders disappear and her breath coming out in shuddering gasps, like she's out of breath thanks to the arousal. At this I smirk and decide to move on with my caresses.

I descend and carefully kiss her neck and the back of her ear, earning a few moans that only serve to encourage me, before trailing down to her collarbone, where I can't help myself when I start sucking and biting until Elsa is mewling in pleasure. I release her abused skin with a loud pop and soon run my tongue along the marks, trying to calm the pain she's undoubtedly feeling. Though based on the way she's crying my name, the pleasure is obviously greater than the pain.

Once I've given her the first hickey of the night, I move towards her chest, cupping her full brests with my hands and massaging them gently, marveling at how soft they feel, how big they are and how the nipples respond to my ministrations by becoming hard. I look up to see Elsa and I love the look she gives me; it's so full of lust and love, so... Sexy. Those half-lidded eyes are capable of make my legs weaken.

I take one nipple in my mouth and suck hard, enjoying how smooth her skin is here, and how warm her breast feels against my face. But mostly I'm enjoying how she moans my name, begging me for more. I, of course, am more than happy to comply, and I soon give her another hickey, this time on her breast. I'd be lying if I said I don't like how the red spot looks on her creamy skin.

After that I continue caressing her, running my hands up and down her body until she's begging me to touch her where nobody else has. At this, I decide to take mercy on her and slowly descend until I'm looking directly at her pink and wet lower lips. I get closer and inhale deeply her delicious scent, already wanting to taste her, eat her up.

"A-Anna." Elsa says nervously, but also out of breath. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I ask as I carefully press my nose against her almost white pubic hairs. "I'm about to eat you up."

"A-Are you sure you want that? Doesn't it disgust you?" She says apprehensibly.

"Did it disgust you when you tasted my... Juices?" I ask, running my fingers through her thighs, still very close to her center.

"Well... No, no it didn't." She answers, apparently realizing at last that her worries are absurd. I nod at this before looking up at her. I want to see her face when I start pleasuring her.

When she gives me an encouraging nod, I instantly lean in to kiss her womanhood... And let me tell you, her taste is better than chocolate. It's sweet and a little bit acidic at the same time, and it leaves a pleasant sensation in my mouth. I love it. I could stay here drinking from her forever.

I run my tongue all over her slit, not yet touching her clit in order to build up more pleasure in her, but I do insert my tongue into her vagina, stroking her insides hungrily but carefully.

Suddenly I feel Elsa's fingers tangling themselves on my hair, as she guides my head a little upwards.

"Anna... Please." She pleads, making it clear she wants to get her release already, and though I wish I could keep lapping her folds a little longer, I know I can't, and that I'll have more opportunities to taste her in the future. So I start working, sucking her clit and then stroking it with my tongue until she's crying for more. I start pushing one of my fingers inside her, marveling at how hot it feels, before realizing I can still put another one inside and doing just that. I start thrusting them in and out as I continue pleasuring her clit with my mouth, and it doesn't take long before Elsa is moaning loudly and breathlessly my name as she tugs of my hair almost painfully so I press my face in the right spot. At the same time, I feel her walls clench around my fingers, squeezing them like they want to suck my whole hand in.

Soon enough though, Elsa goes limp under me and I know its my clue to extract myself from down there, lick my fingers clean and return to my beautiful girlfriend's awaiting arms. I hug her tightly, sighing in content as I cuddle with her, exhausted and satisfied at the same time.

"Well... That was intense." She says, still panting a little.

"You liked it?" I ask, smiling up at her.

"More than I'd like to admit." She confesses, shyly deviating her gaze.

"Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of." I assure her. "After all, who wouldn't like a night of intense love-making with a sexy girl as me?" I add playfully.

"A bit narcissistic, aren't you?" She raises an eyebrow at me.

"Admit it, you loved it." I counter, to which she smiles and leans in, kissing me softly on my lips.

"I love _you_." She says with a look so full of love that all I want is to kiss her and hug her passionately for the rest of the night.

"I love you too." I answer honestly, the words flying out of my mouth so easily that it's like I've been saying them to her all my life. And I know that's how it should be, because if our first time proved anything, it was that we're made for each other. Trough this act we connected in soul and body, but most importantly, in heart. There's no doubt to me now: Elsa is the one for me.


	25. Epilogue

**I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.**

* * *

**Epilogue.**

I've been packing all morning… meaning since two hours ago, when I woke up. I went shopping yesterday and bought a lot of junk food that'll hopefully last us all trip, the majority of it being chocolate. That alone filled two suitcases, and now I'm placing my clothes, books, brushes and all I could possibly need inside three other suitcases. I probably won't need all that stuff, but Elsa's truck is big enough and I don't want to take any chances, so…

"Anna, what are you doing?" My mom asks as she enters my room.

"Packing." I state, taking a board game and placing it in my 'board game' suitcase.

"But… you won't need all that stuff." She protests. "And shouldn't you leave some clothes you could use when you visit on holydays?"

"Don't worry, I've got everything under control." At this, I try to close the suitcase, even climbing atop it, but the stupid zipper just won't move!

"Anna, please, I know you are used to having everything you want, but living alone in a city far away means you have to give up on some things." At this, she urges me to climb down the suitcase so she can take out some things (like a small blanket and two extra towels) and close the damn thing.

Oh, yeah, did I forget to mention? I'm moving to New York. Why New York? Because Elsa wants to go college there. She says that the Cornell University has an excellent architecture program, and so I'm going with her. I'm not going to college yet though; I decided to take a year off to do whatever I feel like it and meanwhile figure out what I want to do with my life. My parents weren't exactly happy with the idea, not wanting their "baby" to go away, but fortunately I was able to convince them in a very mature way (throwing a tantrum until they relented). Truth to be told, I would have gone even if they hadn't given me permission, only because I didn't want to be apart from Elsa, and they probably figured that out too and wisely decided to give in on my demands.

"I know." I sigh. "I just want everything to be perfect."

"It will be, sweetie, you'll see." My mom smiles kindly at me, placing one hand on my shoulder. "As long as you are with Elsa, everything will be fine."

"I guess…" I relent a little, deviating my gaze.

"Well then, I'm going to remove all the things I deem unnecessary." She says as she approaches one of the suitcases, but as I see which one is I almost have a heart attack, so I lunge for it and grab it just in time.

"Not this one." I say, my face burning like it's on fire. "You can take whatever you want from the others, but… don't touch this."

"Why? What do you have there? Lingerie?" She laughs, and I force myself to do the same, but in reality I'm utterly mortified, because yeah, that's the lingerie suitcase. I don't say anything though, and just let my mom unpack like half of my belongings (except the junk food, that's sacred) before we both decide to make our way downstairs and wait for Elsa.

* * *

Just after my father offered to go and fetch my baggage, the doorbell rings, and I don't waste a second before going and opening it up, jumping over to Elsa when I see it's her.

"Elsa!" I exclaim. "I'm so glad you're here! Should we get going?" I separate from her slightly so I can look her and she just chuckles at my excited attitude.

"Hold on, Anna." My mother's voice sounds from the door and we both turn to see her. "Have you already packed everything you need? Your toothbrush? Your sweaters? Your acne cream?"

"Mom!" I blush, knowing she's just trying to embarrass me in front of my girlfriend. "I don't use acne cream." I mumble.

"I know." She chuckles. "I was just teasing you."

"Anna, care to help me with your stuff?" My father appears behind mother, carrying all my suitcases.

"Uh… do you really need that many things?" Elsa asks, eying them like they were too much for her car… okay maybe they are, but geez, why does everyone keep insisting I packed too many things? I need them!

"Yes… well, like half of it is food but…" I admit as I take one suitcase from my father and my mother does the same with another one.

"We don't need that much food for the trip. New York is only like six hours from here." Elsa objects, much to my dismay. I thought she'd agreed with me on this.

"Yeah, but what if we get lost? Or what if we get caught up in a hurricane or a snow storm? Or a zombie apocalypse? Or…" I try to excuse the excess of chocolate.

"Anna." Elsa chastises me, letting me know she won't relent. Since I really don't want to fight with her this morning, because it should be perfect, I sigh and agree against myself.

"Okay, fine. I'll leave one of my food suitcases here, but if a tragedy happens and we don't have food it's your fault." She chuckles and so do my parents, while we load my other four suitcases into Elsa's truck. Then we turn to my parents. This is the moment I've been dreading; the time to say goodbye. I just hope I won't cry. I need to be strong for my parents. I don't want them to worry about me.

"I promise I'll take care of Anna." Elsa assures my parents for the twelfth time. "And we'll come back to visit soon." My father just nods, but my mother goes and hugs her. Thankfully, Elsa doesn't seem to mind.

"Please don't get in trouble." My father tells us once mom lets go of Elsa.

"Trouble is my second name." I joke, and dad just rolls his eyes before approaching to me and giving me a crushing hug. I return it with just as much force, knowing this is the last time I'll be hugging him in a while. I have to try hard not to cry.

"And please remember to eat healthy." My mother adds as she hugs me, just when my father lets go of me to go and hug Elsa. It's a good thing she's more used to physical contact now, or she'd be freaking out.

"You are a good kid, Elsa. I hope things work out between you and Anna and that you stay together for a long time." My father says as he eyes Elsa with a proud smile. I'm glad he likes her, or this would have been _a lot_ more difficult.

"I hope that too." She smiles. Oh, that precious smile of hers! I just want to kiss her, but I know I shouldn't do it in front of my parents. Oh well, I guess there'll be plenty of time for that later.

"Well, now I think it's time for you to go." My mom says, gesturing to the car. "Don't forget to call us when you get there."

"Yes, we will." I answer, getting into the passenger side before peering back at Elsa. "Come on, Elsa, New York awaits." She smiles at me before getting in as well and starting the engine.

"Are you ready?" She asks.

"I was born ready!" I answer enthusiastically, making her chuckle, before we both wave my parents goodbye as the car starts driving away from the only home I've ever had, and I realize that, as excited as I am about going to live with Elsa to New York, as wonderful I know it'll be… I'm gonna miss this. I'm gonna miss my parents, my home, my friends, my neighbors, that damn dog that always wakes me up with his barks, the doves that always perch themselves outside my window, the tree that covers the front of my house with its leaves in autumn… I'm gonna miss Arendelle.

Suddenly, I'm not able to contain my tears anymore and now I'm sniffing pathetically, like a kid going to school for the first time and not wanting to separate from his parents. Soon Elsa notices this and parks the car, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asks concerned.

"I… I'm fine." I say, trying hard to control my sobs.

"Anna, if you're not ready yet I can…"

"No!" I say hastily, looking at her with pleading eyes. "I want to go… it's just… I'm gonna miss them." I admit as even more tears fall from my eyes.

"Come here." She says, opening her arms invitingly, and I don't waste one second before leaning in her, feeling a little better when she starts caressing my back. "It's not like you aren't going to see them again." She tries to comfort me.

"I know, but… I've never been away from home and… it's scary." I hate to admit it, especially because Elsa tenses up at my words, probably thinking I'm regretting my decision, but I have to be honest with her. "I mean… I know I'll be fine because I'm with you, and you are the person I love most in the word, but… it'll take time to get used to being away from them." I clarify.

"I know. I'll help you through it." She assures me.

"Really?" I ask, looking up at her.

"Yes, really." She says before leaning in a kissing me. It's this kiss what really puts me at ease, because it's wonderful, and it expresses fully what Elsa feels towards me, how much she loves me… and I know I'll be safe with her, I know I'll be fine, I know she'll never leave me.

Of course I knew that before, but right now I need to feel that kind of stability, I need to feel like I'm not really leaving home, because Elsa is my home. She's my new family now… I mean, I know we're not getting married, but we are going to live together, and that's pretty similar. I just hope we get married someday, because I can't see myself with anyone but her… but that's in the future; right now, we have new places to explore, new experiences to have, new people to meet and plenty of chocolate to taste. Suddenly it's not so scary anymore. I can do it, I know I can. As long as Elsa is with me.

**THE END.**

* * *

**A/N: Yep, this is the end. Finally, after more than one year of work I've finished this story, and I hope you all enjoyed just as much as I did. I know it's not the best out there, and that maybe some characters are OOC, but that's how I intended it to be, and I don't regret it… though it was a little hard to write Anna being so mean to Elsa in the first few chapters.**

**Anyways, I hope you leave a review and, if you want, you could check my other stories. I have two I'm currently updating, and they're kinda good, if I do say so myself.**

**Thanks for reading, I hope to see you soon. And thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13 :)**


End file.
